


A Girl Named Hope

by shini_amaryllis



Series: Hope Potter AUs [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Different perspectives, F/M, Family, First Love, Friendship, Looking Beyond Universe, Serpent Tongue Universe, Snippets of things I didn't write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-03-12 03:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 115
Words: 33,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3341804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shini_amaryllis/pseuds/shini_amaryllis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She hadn't really given much thought to her name. It was strange how simple things are in retrospect. Her name had meant something to her parents, so it would, in turn, mean something to her. But she would always be George's Hope, the last thing left in Pandora's Box. The Savior the world forgot. A series of one-shots off of Looking Beyond and Serpent Tongue! Requests appreciated!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Her Knight

**Author's Note:**

> Because Marionette of Ancient Relics wanted a series of one-shots, I came up with this. Please enjoy!

Hope had once said that she didn't believe in fairytales, but that wasn't necessarily true. She didn't believe in unrealistic happy endings where everyone lived, but prince charmings were a whole another matter. She hoped deep down that they still existed, but maybe that was a childhood dream.

Or at least that was what she thought until she had laid eyes on George Fabian Weasley.

When she had first met George, she had been surprised that he paid attention to her at all. Never before had anyone ever acknowledged her presence like that, but he did.

He tried his hardest to make her smile, to make her laugh. No one had ever done that for her.

He always listened to what she had to say as if her words were important. No one had ever done that.

He was sweet, and that was saying something.

Back in elementary school, Hope had always been the one that was picked on the most, but here, here there were too many students to worry about that, and even then, Hope knew who her enemies were.

Besides, she had a knight in shining armour to defend her honour if the need ever arose.


	2. The Colour of Her Hair

George wasn't sure why exactly he liked the colour of her hair so much, but he did.

It wasn't the ginger that he or any of his siblings or parents shared; it was a dark, deep crimson that could have blended in with roses.

Of course, she could change the colour of her hair and the colour of the eyes to whatever she wanted, George had seen her do it a few times, but they always returned to the same colours.

Bright, curious green for her eyes.

Deep, dark red for her hair.

At first he had thought that it was because she wanted to look like her mother, because she had once mentioned off to the side that she had her mother's colouring.

But then when he mentioned it a second time, her cheeks had flushed slightly with embarrassment.

"Someone told me they liked the colour," was all she said on the matter.

It took him less than five seconds to remember that it had been him that had said that in reference to the red.

And he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face in return.


	3. The Stars

Hope Potter had strange fascination with the stars, but she had been like that since she was a little girl. The stars were beautiful little sparkles in the sky, shining up there with the moon, giving light to the darkness.

That was why Astronomy was one of her favorite classes; how could it not be? They were graded on how well they knew their constellations (now, if only there was a class on ancient mythology, Hope would be set for life).

Everything was so much simpler when you spent your time stargazing. There were no exams to worry about, no last minute homework to finish, just you and the great beyond.

And it was always the nicest when it was a cloudless night, clear so all the stars could be seen, and it was on nights like that that Hope felt the desire to sneak out of the dormitory, out of Gryffindor Tower to make her way all the way up the Astronomy Tower.

Because those stars were perfection and beauty and thousands upon thousands of miles away, far from her reach.

But that didn't matter; they were still beautiful for the naked eye to see.


	4. The Colour of His Eyes

The colour of his eyes fascinated her. It was a perfect combination of dark and light; of sea and sky.

She had never seen such a colour before in someone's eyes before.

She found that it wasn't difficult to get lost in them, much to her eternal embarrassment.

The strange thing was that George seemed to be the only one with eyes that particular shade (not even Fred had eyes like that). Or maybe it was just her? Or maybe it was just because of how the light hit them? She wasn't quite sure; probably one of the two, or maybe both.

Hope wasn't brave enough to mention it to George; she just knew that he would take the mickey out on her! It wasn't very Gryffindor of her, but then, Hope was a Slytherin by birth, so she was kind of exempt from the rule.

She wasn't sure what to call that colour; maybe it didn't have a name. It was unbelievably beautiful, but you'd never catch her telling the ginger-haired prankster that, of all things!

She would rather die a painful death than ever tell him that.

God knows she'd never be able to live it down.

 


	5. Prankster to Prank Victim

"Oh, you are  _good!_ "

"I've no idea what you're talking about," Hope said innocently, though with a pleased grin plastered to her face.

Angelina gaped at her with something akin to awe. "How ever did you manage it without them noticing?"

Hope shrugged her shoulders, pressing a finger to her lips, her eyes twinkling like stars.

"Fine," Angelina laughed, "keep your secrets, but we all know it was you."

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Hope sang, swinging her cane around on her arm, whistling a bit of a tune.

"I have to admit," she said, raising her voice slightly to the green and silver-haired twins whose robes were now a bright, irritating orange, "the colors are rather fetching on you, aren't they?"

Fred and George both gave her mournful looks as the laughter rang around them like an echoing symbol clanging.

"Next time, Potter!" Fred vowed with a dramatic air. "Next time, we'll get you!"

Hope crossed her arms and smirked. "I'd like to see you try."

Their answering smirks were just a little bit fox-like, their eyes glowing with amusement. "Challenge accepted!"

It was too bad that Hope was the number one most cautious person in Gryffindor Tower; they'd have to put a bit of extra effort into pranking her.


	6. Welcoming Gift

The second she stepped foot in the Great Hall, her breath was stolen from her lungs. The ceiling was always charmed to look like the sky, but it should have been a clear crystal blue with sparse clouds.

But it wasn't.

It was an endless blackness strewn with hundreds of tiny silver stars painted across the darkness and the moon full and bright, lighting up the hall.

In short, it was completely beautiful in Hope's eyes. She was so utterly flattered that George (because there was no way that it couldn't be George) had even remembered that star-gazing was one of her favorite pastimes, but then, he and Fred had caught her sneaking out once, so it wasn't so surprising.

Still, it must have taken a lot of work to get the ceiling to look the way it did.

She could feel her cheeks pinking at how much effort he had put into it just to make  _her_  happy.

She wanted to cry or kiss him, so she settled on the latter; she would never forgive herself for getting so emotional in front of so many people.

George Weasley made her heart flutter at the simplest things, curse him.

She couldn't resist giving him that bright smile that could have outshone the stars above.


	7. The One Who Howls

He was familiar in the way that a photograph was familiar. In the way that a memory was familiar. He could tell her different all that he liked, but Hope knew the truth.

Hope knew that Remus Lupin knew her.

There was something remarkably odd about the man, obviously, like he was hiding something. But Hope hadn't been quite sure what it was until that fateful day when the Gryffindors had faced the Boggart. She had only caught a glimpse of hers, a dementor, when the professor had thrown himself in front of her, his own fear hanging in the air before them.

Hope's eyes had widened and she had found herself staring in utter surprise and the floating orb that was the full moon.

Now everything about him made sense, especially his secretive nature.

He wouldn't have wanted anyone to know about what he was, given how hated lycanthropes were.

And Hope would keep her mouth shut.


	8. From Angelina

Angelina had been surprised when George introduced her to Hope Potter. She was small, almost fragile looking, her leg in a brace, a cane in the opposite hand. She hardly looked eleven years, let alone anything like a media-proclaimed hero.

She didn't really understand why George went out of his way for her. She was cute, sure, but why?

Hope seemed a bit stunned as well. Whenever he helped her or said something nice, her eyebrows would raise in surprise like she couldn't believe someone had done something like that. She would be a little late in the delivery of a snarky comment for the first few weeks of school before she got the hang of George's playful nature.

Angelina had never seen George show an interest in any girl the way he showed an interest in Hope. Hope enjoyed that kind of attention, she could see that in how her cheeks pinked with color and her eyes lit up, sometimes turning a soft hazel.

She was…odd. A pick-pocket and lock-picker with a quick tongue and fiery temper, and she always enjoyed a good prank; she could see why George liked her.

She wondered if Hope ever caught the professors looking at them and whispering something about "James" and "Lily."


	9. Realization

It dawned on him so suddenly that he might've fallen over if he wasn't paying attention.

"Georgie? You alright?" Fred asked curiously, a small flicker of worry entering his eyes as he gripped his twin's elbow to steady him, not quite understanding the expression of blank shock in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

George looked at Fred, his mouth slightly ajar. "I think I'm mad for her," he said in an almost vacant manner.

Fred stared at him for precisely three seconds before bursting out into such loud peals of laughter that several people they passed in the hallway skirted around them, shooting them furtive glances of bewilderment.

"It's not funny!" George said, sounding slightly insulted. He was very close to hyperventilating! How on earth was he supposed to tell his younger brother that he fancied his best mate?

"What's so funny is that you're just figuring it out now," Fred sniggered. "I swear this is the most attention I've  _ever_  seen you pay towards a girl."

George found himself quite unable to speak as a flash of dark red rounded the corner as Hope explained something to Ron with Hermione interjecting every so often, the three sharing laughs.

George opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out, and she walked right past him, missing him completely as she laughed at Ron's words.

"Boy, you've got it  _bad_ ," Fred sniggered as a horrible blush spread across George's cheeks.


	10. Trouble

Professor Minerva McGonagall could easily say that Hope and the Weasley Twins together was easily the most dangerous combination she'd seen in years, only second to Hope's father's group of friends.

Professor McGonagall sighed quietly as her student sat in one of the desks before her, studiously making up one of her tests that she'd missed while in the hospital wing.

Hope was too much like her father, really, that must be said, because as soon as she was done with her test she was to go down to the dungeons for another detention with Professor Snape for that smart mouth of hers.

"Potter—"

"I don't know anything about—" Hope said quickly with a slight jump in her voice that told Professor McGonagall that she was –once again– up to something.

She narrowed her eyes shrewdly at the young girl. "Potter, I am going to have to start calling Mr. Weasley  _'Trouble'_ at the rate you're going at."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hope said airily, a slight smile just brushing her lips. "But I'll pass it on."

The muscle in Professor McGonagall's jaw twitched with effort as she forced herself not to smile.


	11. Overreaction

Fred and George usually knew when they were on the verge of crossing lines that shouldn't be crossed, but sometimes they got a little over their heads and didn't even realize they'd crossed it until it was too late.

" _George Fabian Weasley and Fred Gideon Weasley!"_  Hope snarled, her hair a spiky lime green that she couldn't for the life of her change back to normal, thus earning her a number of snorts and chuckles from fellow Gryffindors in the common room. "Are you ready to  _die?"_

She cracked her knuckles, her eyes dark, but she looked less scarier than usual.

"Yes, Hope?" the pair sang, grinning like the cat that got the canary. They opted to ignore the question about dying, simply responding to their names. This did not improve her temper, not one bit.

"You'd better run, you mongrels!" she snapped, pulling out her wand which was sparking at the. "Or the next time your mother sees you, you'll be in body bags!"

Fred and George decided, at this time, it would be wise to make a tactful retreat.

Ron and Hermione could hear a few yelps of pain as the portrait swung shut behind the enraged usually-red-head.

"Think she's overreacting?" Hermione muttered with a wince.

"Nah," Ron disagreed with a careless wave of his hand.


	12. Midnight Conversations

"Sirius… _Sirius!"_

"Mm-wha?" Sirius fumbled with his surrounding for a brief moment, struggling to search for his wand, a silent Lumos casting a bright light on the person who had been saying his name.

Hope reeled back slightly, covering her eyes from the bright light. "Sirius!"

"Oh, sorry!" The apology fell from his mouth before he could cancel his spell, allowing the pair to be shrouded in darkness once more. He could see her outline now, though. "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep," Hope said glumly. "Can I stay with you?"

"Yeah, sure, kid, c'mere…" Sirius scooted over so that she could climb onto the bed.

"Thanks," she said quietly, sinking into the pillow. "I usually talk to George, but…probably not a good idea, right?"

"Right," Sirius said, nodding seriously, maneuvering his arm so it was over her shoulders, rubbing a soothing circle over the burn-turned-tattoo on her shoulder. "Why don't you talk to Ron or Hermione?"

He could feel her shrug, but he could also feel the shaking of her shoulders. "They didn't know…Cedric…as much as Fred and George did…he was nice to me, you know."

"I know," Sirius told her.

"I see him when I close my eyes," she whispered, "when Voldemort killed him."

Sirius squeezed her tightly. "Then don't close your eyes, just talk."

She shifted slightly and he knew she was looking at him, but a moment later she had opened her mouth to speak.

It was only the next morning that she realized she didn't have any nightmares that night.

 


	13. Scars

When George first saw the scars on her hand, he felt anger, but when Fred saw them, all he felt was sick. So he was more than happy to help George prank Umbridge for what she'd done.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Angelina said in a soft murmur, coming to lean her head against his shoulder as they watched George and Hope in a corner. Hope was in a light sleep, wincing every so often as George carefully wrapped a bandage around her bleeding hand, securely tying it, kissing her lips lightly as he situated her more comfortably in the armchair.

"What d'you mean?" he asked.

"She takes all that pain of someone making her cut into her own hand, and she doesn't even complain," Angelina said in a small amount of awe. "I know I wouldn't've been able to do it."

"You know Hope," Fred said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple. "She's made of…steel, but stronger."

"Way stronger," Angelina said with a smile, rolling her eyes. "She wouldn't be Hope Potter if she couldn't take a few scars and then ignore them like they're not even there."

"Or laugh about George playing healer," Fred added.

"Ah…she would find that so funny!"

But Fred wondered just how many scars she would have in the end.

 


	14. Little Brother's Girlfriend

Bill and Charlie weren't sure what to expect when Hope Potter came to the Burrow that summer. They knew the bare minimum about their little brother's girlfriend (though it was more than they knew about his twin's; Fred put a lot of effort into making sure his family stayed out of his love life). They knew she had a temper and was known for her sass, they knew she had a love for ancient runes and fun pranks, and they knew she was an excellent Seeker.

And they knew she was so out of George's league.

"I will throw this! I swear I will! George!"

The eldest two Weasley brothers sniggers as they glanced around the rickety staircase to where Hope was clutching a wooden spoon in her hand, her face a dangerous shade of red that they had yet to see on her.

"Come on, George coaxed, "one kiss!"

Now they had to muffle their sniggers as her face bypassed red and went straight to beet as she jabbed the spoon at him angrily.

" _One kiss?_  One kiss turns into two and then three rather quickly, you, you—" She prodded him with spoon.

" _Ow!"_

"Stop distracting me! I've got to help your mother with lunch so go bother someone else!"

They heard George's echoing laughter as he disappeared out the door and then silence.

"Bill, Charlie, tell anyone about that and I'll kill you," Hope warned and neither man could tell if she was being serious.


	15. The Perfect Name

James was sure it was going to be a boy, he was beyond certain that he and Lily were going to have a son. Lily didn't question it, though she had stated how amused she would be if their child turned out to be a girl. She also didn't use the spell that would tell them what the baby's gender would be.

They had the name picked out and everything. Harry James Potter.

James looked at the tight bundle in Lily's arms, his wife exhausted but beaming and proud.

"It's a girl?"

A tuft of Lily's dark red hair could be seen on her head as she slumbered.

Lily chuckled slightly, causing their daughter to shift slightly in her blanket, but she did not awaken. "Yes, James…she's beautiful, isn't she?"

And she really was, James admitted to himself, taking his daughter as Lily lifted her towards him. "What should we name her?"

He hadn't really considered what they would name their child if it was a girl.

"I was thinking…Hope," Lily said quietly, looking up at him with shining green eyes. "She's our hope for the future, hope for a world without Voldemort."

James' throat clogged with emotion. "It's perfect."

Lily shared his smile.


	16. Distraction

"You know I'm trying to study," Hope said shortly, soft pink suffusing across her cheeks as she drew her book closer to her face.

George, on the other hand, was smirking widely, one of his arms thrown over her thin shoulders, rubbing circles into the exposed skin of her upper arm. "You were the one who said I couldn't possibly be distracting."

Hope's forehead was red behind her book. "Who said I was lying?" she asked, her voice a few pitches higher than usual.

"Definitely lying," George told her, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

Hope shivered, but then she forced her eyes back to the words on the page in front of her. "Has anyone told you how annoying you are?"

"Oh, countless times," George assured her in a dry manner that told her he obviously ignored those opinions, "but you're still  _lying_." His lips brushed against her jaw, under her ear.

Hope's cheeks darkened rather significantly and she was grateful that the common room had long since emptied in the lateness of the hour. "I hate you," she told him shortly, but her voice was too small for him to take her seriously as he tugged her chin towards him.

"Sure you do," he muttered against her mouth before he captured her lips in a kiss that filled her entire body with warmth.

It was only when the next day came around the Hope realized she'd barely gotten any of her OWL studying done. To which she proceeded to chase her prankster boyfriend down, waving her wand threateningly towards his. He pelted away from her as fast as he could, but that wouldn't save him.


	17. Exasperation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an AU, as I had considered writing it into Book Five at one time, but it was scrapped. Enjoy!

It was hard to tell whether or not George was going to do a runner, but running might have been a bit difficult holding Hope's hand the way he was.

"We have something to tell you," Hope said without preamble.

Remus was instantly horrified. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Sirius choked on thin air, George burned brighter than his hair, and Hope glared a bit venomously towards the werewolf.

"We're snogging, not shagging," Hope said frigidly.

"I asked Hope to move in with me after this year," George blurted, causing Hope's lips to pull into a pout.

"I wanted to make them sweat a little longer!" she complained.

George arched an eyebrow, his cheeks no longer as bright, but still a dark pink from the earlier insinuation. "They think I got you pregnant."

Hope shrugged, rather unconcerned. "They were either going to think pregnancy or engagement, but they're men, so they automatically assume we're having sex."

Sirius and Remus gaped at her, but they were ignored.

"I'm a man," George retorted.

"Yes, but you're different," Hope said with a careless wave, her lips twitching in amusement.

"Oh? How so?"

"If I listed of everything," Hope said with an exaggerated sigh, "we'd be here for hours—"

"What do you mean you asked her to move in with you?" Sirius burst out.

George and Hope looked up in surprise and Remus could feel exasperation blooming on his face once he realized that the pair had completely forgotten that the two older men were sitting across the table from them.


	18. Minerva's First Sight

"Potter, Hope!"

Minerva McGonagall lifted her eyes to the small group of first-years that remained, quickly parting for the girl savior. She was not what Minerva had expected.

She was small and thin with a thick brace encasing her leg while one of her arms clutched a cane tightly. Her eyes were green, sharp and defiant like her mother's, with the same dark red locks Lily Evans was famed for that barely reached her shoulders, a string of multi-coloured beads catching the light of the candles flickering around her.

If she heard the whispers that erupted at her name, she didn't show it, striding forward confidently despite her limp to jump up and onto the stool, and mechanically, Minerva placed the Hat on her head, the brim falling over her eyes.

Her first mistake was expecting the Hat to immediately shout "GRYFFINDOR!" as it had with her parents, and she sat on the stool for almost a full minute before it came to its decision and then Hope was moving smoothly towards that the Gryffindor table, laughing at the antics of the Weasley Twins. And when she sat down one of them–Minerva could be sure which one, seeing as they were identical–leaned across the table to tell her something.

Her eyes colored with surprise as Minerva read the next name, placing the Hat on the next student, and then a genuine smile bloomed on her lips, making her resemblance to Lily even more startling. However, Minerva was sure she had picked up a trait or two from her father.


	19. Spitting Image

It would have been easier if Hope Potter was the spitting image of her father, that much Severus Snape knew very well. But she was identical to her mother from the dark red hair to the bright green eyes.

The curiosity that lit her eyes when she had entered into the Great Hall was her mother's.

As was the defiance that had flooded them when he had barked out questions too advanced for her to know during her first class with him, and he had been surprised that she had read up on her material.

But she had too much of her father in her for him to not take into account. And it sickened him that the idea of the woman he had loved had borne a child so much like James Potter.

He could hear it in her laughter and he could see it in the way she walked, even with the aid of that cane of hers. It was present in the way her eyes shimmered and the way she tilted her head.

It made him irrationally angry. Lily would have lived if she had chosen him! But she had picked the arrogant James Potter who had no positive qualities whatsoever. She had picked the bully over Severus.

And her daughter was no better than him with that superiority complex she so clearly had, prancing around with those twins and assisting with pranks…

She was her father wearing her mother's face and Severus would treat her no more than she deserved.


	20. Pick-Up Match

It was truly a pity that Hope wasn't going to try for being am International Quidditch Player. It was a waste of talent if you asked Charlie, but the second eldest Weasley boy had seen how her eyes lit up whenever she picked Bill's brain about the Ancient Arts. George always rolled his eyes and proclaimed in a dramatic manner that his brother was stealing away his girlfriend.

But Charlie had never seen the Potter heir take to the air, and as soon as he asked for a one-on-one match –first to reach the Snitch wins– he regretted it, because that insane twinkle in her eyes put him on edge.

"Come on then, Dragon Boy!" she had jeered. "Let's see what you got!"

His father had kindly offered to enchant a small berry that was nearly impossible to see, and it stayed close to the ground so that any Muggles wandering too close to the Burrow wouldn't see two figures perched on brooms chasing after a berry that was clearly possessed by a demon…someone might have an aneurysm.

Hope was light and slim, the perfect build for a Seeker, while Charlie was burly and stocky, the perfect build for a Beater or a Keeper. And it was clear that Hope used that to her advantage.

So he couldn't say he was really disappointed or surprised when she knocked his hand out of the way and plucked the berry neatly out of the air and into her mouth, swallowing it before grinning at him.

"Ah, well," she smirked, "what can you do?"

His eye barely twitched as the girl descended to the grass once more.

Smart mouth…


	21. Newfound Happiness

Fleur Delacour was used to people either shying away from her, sickened by the effects of her Allure or desiring her above almost all things.

And it made her miserable, but she hid it very well.

When she went over to request the bouillabaisse from the two red-heads and the brunette, finding a friend was the last thing she expected, especially one in the famous Hope Potter.

But the girl hero was nothing like she was portrayed.

She was witty and sarcastic and full of fire; Fleur knew in an instant that she would get along splendidly with her mother. She was fascinated by the same ancient arts that had captured Fleur's attention as well, and for the first time since she had entered Beauxbatons, she didn't feel the need to entirely guard herself.

Hope had offered her a seat at her table with her friends when they had barely known each other and that relationship had only grown. Soon nearly half of Gryffindor House knew her simply by her association with the trio that was Hope, Ron, and Hermione.

She found a kindred spirit in Alicia, and sharp mind in Angelina, a friendly soul in Lee, and mischievous nature in Fred and George.

And the way George looked at Hope, or Fred looked at Angelina, or Lee looked at Alicia…it was a look that Fleur hoped to have directed towards her one day.

It would be a few short months before Hope led her on the path to meet her love.

She had very much to thank Hope for in regards to her newfound happiness and she would take it and grasp it with both hands.


	22. Metamorphmagus

This first time her hair changed colour in front of her aunt, her aunt smacked her cheek so hard that it stung for days.

Hope had thought it was strange. Her hair changed colour all the time. Sometimes she'd come home with streaks of violet or azure or even midnight black in her hair and all they did was scoff at her unnaturalness of dying her hair.

It was weird that their hair stayed the same boring colour all the time and that their eyes stayed the same boring colour all the time.

But Hope was special and she could make her eyes orange, her hair lime green, and her eyebrows bright blue, if she wanted to (but that would be a horrible clash of colours if you asked her).

She hated how much she looked like her mother, that was one of the reasons why she changed the colours so much, but she'd never really given it much thought until she cut her hair and George Weasley asked her why she kept changing it.

She'd given a small shrug in return, her eyes sparkling and reflecting the same blue that his eyes held.

"I liked that dark red…it suited you."

A dark flush had painted across her cheeks at his words, and she could only watch as he walked away from her with a grin across his face.

And the next day when he saw her at the Gryffindor table, eating with his brother, her hair was the colour of roses, the beads spun in her hair shimmering like pearls underwater.


	23. Morea

Morea of the Earth was what they called her, but it wasn't her original name.

Her name was Lady Morea Avis and her family was dead. So she left.

She was a mysterious figure of Great Britain, and many sought to understand the Wandering Witch, and she had to admit she wasn't quite surprised when she caught the attention of the pale eyed, sharp-cheekboned, dark-haired Salazar Slytherin.

He was relentless and unbearably sweet in his advances which contrasted very much with his icy countenance and after so much time, Morea found herself giving in and making a home for herself with her loving husband.

Their union graced them with two healthy children, Nelda, the first born daughter, and Adrian, the second born son, and over two decades later a kind hearted grandson.

But the days grew dark and Morea could sense a nameless evil infecting Adrian, something not even she and Salazar with all their power could stop.

It was rooted to deep inside him when she had stepped over the bodies of her fallen daughter and son-in-law to stand over her wailing grandchild, holding her staff aloft and with defiance.

"Go no further!"

His dark eyes, once so bright, fastened on her and for an instant he wasn't Adrian, he was someone else, a pale-skinned man whose flesh could be more easily compared to the moon and with eyes as red as fresh spilled blood.

And for an instant the woman standing before him wasn't Morea, it was a woman with bright eyes and hair a tangled plait of rose-coloured strands.

And then Adrian struck.

Morea fell and moments later Adrian followed as Salazar entered in a roar of rage and anguish that was only silenced in the wake of the cries of the last of his line.

 


	24. Voices Overheard

Ginny hadn't meant to eavesdrop, honest! She was only going up to search for the lavatory when she heard their voices, so she peeked her head around the corner to see George standing before Hope who was smiling brightly.

"Then perhaps another trip to the hospital wing is in order," George was saying, his words eliciting a laugh from Hope as she dropped her things to the ground with an "Oh, shut up," to embrace him tightly.

Ginny stifled a complaint at the lack of a kiss. Honestly! They danced around each other worse than Ron and Hermione!

They parted and Hope's eyes were shining with amusement.

"But," she added, "I must be crazy to put up with you for so long, Weasley."

"Oh, you must be?"

Ginny now wanted to go over there and force their heads together because it was clear that George dearly wanted to ask her out, but didn't have the guts to.

"Yes, I-"

This time Ginny very nearly squealed in delight as George raised a hand to brush against her cheek as he leaned down to bestow a kiss upon her lips, and she gone in seconds, darting silently down the hallway and down the stairs into the pub area of the Leaky Cauldron with a superior smug look on her face as she stood before her family.

"Guess who just kissed the Girl-Who-Lived?" she asked.

Her father was amused and her mother euphoric (she had always taken a liking to the sarcastic Potter heir). Ron grimaced at the thought of his brother being with his best mate, Percy hardly cared (it wasn't his business), but Fred was grinning widely, doing a mental calculation of how much money the pair had just earned him.

It seemed as though he'd made a few good wagers, if you asked Ginny.


	25. Silver and Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU in which Hope was sorted into Slytherin, takes place in Fifth Year

George was only just moving to pull out his wand when a jet of red light flew over his shoulder, connecting with Adrian Pucey, sending him flying backwards to collapse on the ground.

"All bark and no bite," a voice sighed, "gives us all a bad name, really."

George whirled around as the speaker stepped into the light. The loose green and silver tie around her neck indicated which House she belonged to. Dark curtains of hair framed her fair cheeks, making the green of her eyes more prominent.

Hope Potter's face wasn't one to typically forget. It was the one of a girl who had turned a DADA professor to ash by a merest touch, who had gone down into the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve his sister, who had faced off against over one hundred Dementors, and who had undergone the three tasks of the Triwizard Tournament without much help.

Honestly, the girl seemed more goddess than girl, and completely stone cold. George couldn't recall even once that he'd seen her smile...though it was well known of her sharp tongue that grated on even Snape's nerves.

"Potter," he said simply.

"Weasley," she responded coolly in return. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

George actually grinned. "Maybe...maybe not." Was it his imagination, or was there a pale flush adorning her cheeks.

This time, he was sure of it; the corner of her lips had twitched.

"Are you always this insufferable?" she inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, definitely," George agreed, bobbing his head, "and then some."

The twitch grew into the slightest of smiles and then she tilted her head back slightly. "Michael," she called into the darkness, and George was surprised at the sound of metal connecting with the stone floor as a suit of armour nearly materialized at her side with a respectfully bowed helmet and an arm extended to her.

"My Lady," the suit of armour intoned in a slightly amused voice.

Hope took the proffered limb before glancing back towards the Weasley. "I'll be seeing you around, Weasley."

"Absolutely," George said without meaning to, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment, but it was worth it to hear the chuckle that escaped her as she turned away.

 _Damn!_  Who knew being mysterious could be so sexy?


	26. Children to Warriors

Everyone has to grow up some time, Hope regretted that she was the one that forced them all to do so. Hope had lost all that kept her rooted in the mindset of a child when her godfather had died right before her eyes, when she realized she may very well have led her friends to their death.

It wasn't a feeling she had ever wanted to replicate.

But she also didn't want Dumbledore's Army running around half-blind; it was better to be over-prepared than ill-prepared, after all.

They called her leader because she understood more. She had felt the sting of loss and the pain of death and had borne the cruel rumors aimed towards her, and she had never wavered. She knew more spells and how to apply them than any in the DA.

She was not the leader simply because she had a scar on her forehead from a Dark Lord, and the students that showed up for every lesson did so of their own accord.

She did not demand respect or loyalty as Albus Dumbledore did with his Order of the Phoenix.

The DA could joke and laugh and tell her off if they wanted to, and in some ways Hope didn't regret how it was her that was changing them from children to warriors.

She didn't regret it if what she taught them all would one day save their lives, because in the end, that was the thing that it always came down to; coming out alive.


	27. Daphne

Hope found Daphne Greengrass to be the best Slytherin in the House, if you asked her. Of course, Hope had barely exchanged words with the blonde-haired girl, but at least she didn't treat her like she was scum on the bottom of someone's shoe.

It didn't matter that Hope wore a tie of red and gold while Daphne wore one of green and silver, there was something kindred about the pair.

Hope hadn't regretted it when she told Ron and Hermione to extend the invitation to Slytherin House as well for that meeting they wanted her to do concerning learning Defense Against the Dark Arts outside of the classroom.

However, she had been surprised when the blonde brought her younger sister Astoria and friend, Tracey Davis. Daphne had cast her a knowing glance in return that made her hide her smirk in her drink.

She had been further impressed when she had spoken up, citing that she thought taking lessons was a brilliant idea, giving evidence of Hope's many nights in the library studying up on offensive and defensive magic.

Hope had been flattered.

Daphne was certainly a rare breed of Slytherin, along with her sister and friend, and she certainly threw Pure-blood stereotypes out the window when she grabbed Muggle-born Dean Thomas by the ears and kissed him so deeply that you could have sworn the dark-skinned lad was blushing (this was all according to Hermione, of course, as Hope had –sadly– missed the event).

Times were changing and Hope was more than happy to let them as she looked upon what must have been the first Gryffindor-Slytherin relationship in a very long time.


	28. Goddaughter

"We're naming you godfather," James told Sirius quite proudly and was thus gifted with the unique experience of seeing his best mate gobsmacked.

"Er…what?" he asked weakly, looking down at the bundle of joy in his hands (it had been surprising enough to see the infant abruptly change her features in the same manner that Cousin Andy's daughter Nymphadora could). Hope blinked owlishly up at him. "You're joking, right?"

Lily's lips drew downwards slightly from where she was sitting and resting; the childbirth was as exhausting as she had heard. And then she rolled her eyes.

"There's no one better," she said in simple agreement with her husband, sharing a glance with the hazel-eyed man.

"Remus would be better," Sirius disagreed, rocking the green bundle gently in his arms, only slightly surprised as the girl cycled through a series of colours for her hair and eyes, like someone was twisting a kaleidoscope to bring about the various colours of the rainbow…just thankfully not at the same time.

He winced suddenly as Hope reached out a chubby hand to grasp at a loose lock of his dark hair and give a rather violent pull. "Hope!"

All Hope did was babble incomprehensibly to her godfather as though she was speaking a language only he could understand.

"If anything happens to us, we want you to take care of Hope," James said, taking his daughter gently from Sirius, who seemed slightly thankful to be relieved of the girl who would be his future responsibility. "Remus can't because he's a werewolf, and you know how the Ministry views them."

"Nothing's going to happen to you or Lily, James," Sirius disagreed.

He didn't know how wrong he was.


	29. So Far Away

George had grown so used to his girlfriend's constant presence that the flat was remarkably cold without her. Several of her books that she had left behind were strewn about haphazardly, one lying on the bedside table.

George missed her more than he was willing to admit, and it was worse than it had been when he and Fred had skipped out on the latter part of their last year at Hogwarts.

If someone had told him years ago that a girl would integrate herself so completely into his life that he would find it difficult to be without her, he would have certainly laughed in their face.

But she had. At first he had tried so hard to make her smile and laugh because the first time they met she had barely smiled, and it was a smile that looked so foreign on her face. And their feelings had only grown over the years.

George would've asked her to marry him if she would have said yes, but he knew she wouldn't, not with how things currently were.

So George contented himself to eagerly awaiting Hope's return, because even the hundreds of miles that separated them wouldn't change a thing.

And no one could possibly compare to Hope Lily Potter.


	30. Meeting the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU in which James and Lily are alive

"Staring out the window isn't going to make him show up faster, darling," Lily sang from the kitchen as her daughter perched with her arms over the back of the couch, staring petulantly outside. Lily hadn't been surprised to see that Hope had put on her nicest skirt and her favorite blue shirt to match.

"I know," Hope bemoaned, removing herself from the couch to stride over to where her father was sitting at the table, reading over the latest Daily Prophet. She glared at him, her hands resting on her hips.  _"You_  are not allowed to intimidate him."

"Me?" James gasped, the epitome of shocked, or so it seemed. "What could I ever do that would be intimidating?"

His words only served to sour Hope's expression further, but she brightened unexpectedly as the doorbell rang, and suddenly she was a red blur streaking towards the door.

"George!"

Lily and James could hear a male voice chuckling as well as their daughter's own laughter. James could just barely see how Hope had thrown her arms around the older boy only to have him swing her around in the air. James frowned thoughtfully, before winking at Lily as she swapped him lightly on the back of his head with her hand.

"Play nice," she warned, "Hope really likes him."

He pouted, the expression quickly vanishing as Hope came back into view, beaming brightly, her fingers interlocked with the lad's hand.

"Mum, Dad, this is George Weasley."

Well, he certainly looked like a Weasley, James gave him that much. With bright ginger hair that wasn't even close to the same red as Hope's, and bright blue eyes. He also seemed incredibly nervous.

James hid his smirk. Oh, this was going to be  _fun._


	31. Dog and Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still AU with James and Lily alive. It's meet the godfathers this time, plus LittleBrother!Harry

If George thought meeting the parents of Hope Potter was terrifying, that was nothing compared to meeting her two uncles, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, who were both clearly as fond of her as she was of them.

Sirius had his arms crossed with a dark scowl on his lips as Remus scrutinized George as though looking for some fault of some kind, leaving George with the rather distinct feeling that the two of them combined could probably kill him and destroy his body and no one would know they had done it (except,  _obviously_ , Hope, who, despite caring for them, was ready to threaten them with bodily harm should them damage him in any way).

"So, Weasley…" Sirius said after a long moment, before footsteps from the stairs stalled his words long enough for an irate girl to appear. She looked as stunning as always, her eyes their typical bright hazel and her hair the same red as her mother's, though with at least three streaks of blue through the red.

"You are  _not_  interrogating my boyfriend!" she snarled over the banister as her younger brother followed after her, his dark hair a contrast with hers, and his green eyes wide with curiosity.

"Now, Hope," Remus began, only to have his words stalled by a scowl thrown his way.

"I'm not dealing with this shite!" she declared, ignoring the reproach for her language as she shoved her brother towards the men. "Harry's all yours, and I'm finding a nice dark corner to snog in!"

"That better be a figure of speech!" Sirius called after her as she practically yanked George out after her.


	32. Through the Veil

The jet of red light soared through Sirius' arms to collide with his chest, sending him reeling backwards, his consciousness slowly dimming.

The last thing he heard and saw was Hope, his darling goddaughter, racing towards him, her hair whipping through the air in her haste as she screamed his name only to be pulled back by Remus.

Sirius tried to memorize her face. The exact shape and colour of her bright-green eyes, the exact place where her scar was located on her forehead, the defiant jut of her chin...and then everything was gone as he fell through the Veil that felt more like ice than anything else.

It forced the breath from his lungs and he coughed violently, shivering on the floor before he became aware of a pair of feet before him in laced Greek sandals. Sirius' gaze followed the sandals up a dark toga to meet a pair of eyes so dark they could have been the starless sky.

The man to whom the eyes belonged to was beautiful in a way few were. His skin was as fair as Hope's had been, and Hope had been fairer than either of her parents, if not more so, as if blood had stopped pumping through his veins long ago, with bronze hair falling around his beautiful face as great midnight wings stretched behind him as he held aloft an inverted torch.

Sirius swallowed thickly and bent his head. "Lord Thanatos."

The god's lips twisted slightly. "Sirius Black, brother of Regulus, son of Orion and Walburga…well met. You may stand."

And stand Sirius did.

"And godfather to Hope Potter," Thanatos mused, "or does she go by Elpis Slytherin?"

Confusion and apprehension warred on his face. "She goes by Hope."

"Indeed," was all he said, "either name suit her…I met her only briefly, but she was only a small girl, then, her soul was quite…slippery."

Sirius felt fear claim his heart briefly before he recalled Remus explaining of the accident that Hope had been involved in as a child.

Thanatos tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps one day she will make it to Elysium…but she has some time ahead of her before her death."

"Really?" Sirius choked out before sighing with relief.

"Truly," Thanatos hummed, consulting a thick book. "Potter…Hope…daughter of James Potter and Lily Evans, goddaughter to Sirius Black, godmother to…that doesn't concern you…four children…interesting, it seems one of them bears your name." Thanatos glanced up, his lips smirking and Sirius could feel his heart beating fast; she was going to name a child after him?

"My ancient line needs not to die out," he said approvingly, "there are only two living descendants of mine and one has disappointed me."

"I beg your pardon?" Sirius hardly breathed. "Your ancient line?"

The smirk on his lips seemed more like Hope and James than Sirius would ever admit. "Indeed. Surely you did not think that the Tale of Three Brothers was inspired by three ordinary wizards?"

Sirius could only mouth wordlessly.

"I will send you on," he continued, "there are two who wish to see you."

And by the time Sirius had blinked, he was in a field blooming with flowers and two very familiar people were running towards him, embracing him tightly and murmuring, "Thank you."

For the first time in years, Sirius Black cried.


	33. Their Girlfriends

"Disgusting, isn't it?" Angelina asked Hope, her face twisted in revolt as Hope looked up from adding more Patented Daydream Charm to the shelves. She was wearing lime green scrubs that clashed with her skin tone, an indicator of her being a student at St. Mungo's School of Healing.

Hope was incognito, as it were. Her long hair was dark blue and in a loose plait and her eyes were a similar colour, though the colour might have had something to do with the grief of losing her godfather than as effort to hide who she was.

Hope wrinkled her nose in the direction that Angelina was looking, towards their boyfriends who seemed to be accosted by females that were either Fred and George's ages or slightly older, it was difficult to tell.

"It's not as though they actually like them," Hope admitted, "I guess it comes with the territory. They're becoming quite successful and they're handsome."

Angelina scoffed, sweeping her dreadlocks over one shoulder, scowling as one of the offending ladies put a hand on Fred's arm. "They'll regret touching them, just you wait, when I passed by them the brunette was asking why he bothered with a 'little girl'."

Hope's eye twitched and Angelina smirked. Hope Potter was many things, but she was hardly a little girl. True, there was a bit of a height difference between her and George, and she was only fifteen –nearly sixteen, now– but if one compared her magical core to one of those bimbos, they would see which one was superior.

Hope strode forward with Angelina following after her, hoping for a show.

"Excuse me," she said coolly, stalling the brown-haired woman who was laughing loudly, her hand on George's arm, George looking rather uncomfortable about the whole thing while Fred looked a bit annoyed.

The woman turned towards her, disdain evident on her face as she looked over Hope's hair and magenta robes that those working at the shop wore. "Yes?"

"Most women give up when they hear a man is taken," Hope continued in the same tone of voice, "personally, I wouldn't like you hanging off of my boyfriend; its rather disquieting to watch."

Her eyes widened, and jumped to Hope's forehead where her scar rested, and then she was positively gaping at her.

"I think this little girl is enough woman for him," Hope Potter said and George grinned.


	34. A Name to a Face

The first time Arthur Weasley saw Hope Potter was at his dinner table for breakfast one day when he got home much later than anticipated. It was very easy to mistake her for Ginny in that she had red hair and was female. But a second look made him question how he could have taken her for Ginny.

Hope Potter's hair was a much darker red, the exact shade that her mother had borne, and her eyes were the same shade of green. He could see why Ron complained that the professors saw her too much as her mother and father's daughter than herself (though he was proud of how his son stuck up for the slightly younger girl).

The scar of her forehead was hidden for the most part by loose fringe, and a strand of beads caught the light as she moved her head. The rings on her fingers glittered as she moved them. Her smile was the most obvious, though, as it appeared slightly relieved, as though she wasn't used to people liking her and laughing with her.

"Don't you go lying, George Weasley!" she nearly yelled across the table. "You wouldn't have been able to launch that Dungbomb nearly as high as me, so don't you claim credit for that!"

Laughter exploded and Arthur could see his wife trying to be reproachful, but it didn't seem to be working.

Yes, Hope Potter was an interesting girl indeed.


	35. First Impressions

The boy framed in the door looked about as nervous as Hope felt. He had the same bright ginger hair as his brothers, though a good bit shorter, Hope noticed, with as many freckles and the same blue eyes as his older twin brothers.

Though, Hope thought privately that George Weasley's were a mix of dark and light blues once the light caught them just right.

His clothes, while patched and worn with age, gave off the feeling of being much homier than the clothing Hope was currently wearing.

He stuttered out his question and Hope nearly smiled.

* * *

The girl was small, like Ginny, Ron mused. It would have been premature to call her delicate-looking, because even with that brace over her leg and the thinness of her limbs, her green eyes held a flickering fire that could not be put out.

She twirled a rose-coloured lock around her finger as she introduced herself by only her first name, but Ron had seen her scar, he knew what her surname was.

And the way she caused Fred to crack by just arching her eyebrow was hilarious.

* * *

Ron noticed her soft brown eyes first, but Hope noticed the uniform.

Hermione Granger was an intimidating eleven year old, it must be said, and Ron had to recoil slightly as she questioned them with a demanding voice.

His tongue wouldn't function and Hope blinked at her as though she was a curiosity of the likes she had not yet seen.

* * *

Yet by the Thirty-first of October, all three would find themselves the best of friends.


	36. The Flat

The more George thought about, the more he couldn't  _stop_  thinking about it. Angelina would be moving in Fred once they'd graduated, so they were going to have a flat of their own, but George's would just be for himself.

His girlfriend still had two more years of school to complete before she was his completely…such were the trials of dating a younger woman.

But George couldn't quite bring himself to regret it, Hope was certainly something.

He could ask her to move in with him, she disliked her own relatives enough, but George wasn't sure if she would agree, but he was a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors didn't back down.

"That was one of your best," he chose to start with as they walked through the corridors hand in hand after concluding the last DA meeting before winter holidays.

"Was it?" Hope asked, her tone mild, her thoughts elsewhere.

George hummed in agreement, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, and then he pulled her to a stop, causing a pair of green eyes to flash to his in confusion. "George?"

"I want to ask you something," he told her suddenly, "and it's really important, well, I mean, it's really important to me, it might not be-"

"You're rambling," Hope was smiling at him. "What is it?"

George exhaled a loud sigh that sounded more like he was trying to calm himself than anything else. "I wanted to know…if you'd move in with me over the summer."

The green of her eyes filtered into hazel in her surprise and for a very long moment, it seemed, she did not speak, and then she said one word.

"Yes."

"I-what?" George started slightly at her answer. He'd honestly been expecting her to say no.

"Yes," she repeated, her voice breathless, "I will absolutely move in with you."

"Really?" He was now beaming widely at her, euphoria expanding inside him

"Really!" She laughed, flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him with so much force that George swore he saw stars.


	37. Difficulties With Cooking

Using a knife to slice up vegetables wasn't that much of a trial until you threw George Weasley into the mix. George Weasley who had tendency to prove very distracting for Hope, if recent years were any indicator.

Hope jumped slightly when his arms wrapped around her waist, having completely missed the sound of the door opening and closing.

"I'm home," he whispered in her ear and Hope could practically hear his grin.

"Smug bastard," she grumbled, "who else is allowed to touch me like that?"

"Hopefully no one," George replied, nuzzling his face into her shoulder and Hope forced herself not to shiver.

"Don't you have someone else to bother?" Hope complained, clenching her fist tightly over the knife as the kisses came closer to the two spots on her flesh that George knew her weaknesses to lie.

"Never," George smirked into neck as she tilted it slightly to the side, her eyes fluttering as his attention fell to her jugular.

"I-I'm going to kill you," Hope threatened feebly as she tried to take up her knife again. "Right after I leave you with cold soup…"

"Oh, really?" he hummed as he deftly removed the knife from her hands before twirling her around so that they were face to face as Hope braced herself against the counter to remain upright.

"I love you," he told her so suddenly that Hope blinked, and then her eyes narrowed and she hit him in the stomach.

He grunted, doubling over slightly. "What was that for?"

"What do you think?" Hope demanded, red-faced and irritated. "For distracting me!"

And then she turned back, muttering under her breath distastefully about her boyfriend when he caught her chin and kissed her deeply.

Hope was still scowling when they parted. "You're just taking advantage of the fact that we live together now."

George grinned cheekily in reply and she muffled a swear.


	38. Between Two Metamorphs

Hope was a bit of a curiosity to Tonks.

They'd met before, of course, in her second year, Tonks believed, but even that had been only briefly. Hope had grown up since then, Tonks had almost not been able to recognize her when the fifteen year old Gryffindor had held a fireplace poker to Remus' throat (there was no question as to whether she was sorted into the right House).

She was turning into a badass, and Tonks couldn't help but approve of the style.

Tonks saw her sitting on one of the steps very early in the morning when Tonks was on her way home after guard duty, but she took a sidestep.

"Can't sleep?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Hope muttered, raking a hand through her ink-black hair to raise grey eyes from the ground. Her similarities to Sirius were now pronounced, though, Tonks suspected that that was unintentional.

Tonks leaned against the railing, arching an eyebrow. "Do you want to talk about it?" It was never easy to see someone die in front of your eyes, and it was even harder if they were a friend.

"No," Hope said quickly, her eyes flashing green for a moment before fading away, "thanks, but I've told the– what happened to more people than I can count and I really—" Hope's voice choked slightly and Tonks couldn't say that she was surprised.

"Alright," the Auror said, "well, if you change your mind…"

"Thanks," Hope mumbled, pulling herself into a standing position. "Goodnight."

"'Night," Tonks added as her cousin-of-sorts disappeared up the stairs.

Tonks frowned thoughtfully. Maybe she should drop a word to Sirius, he was one of the few that knew Hope best, being her godfather, and all.


	39. Thoughts of a Mother

Hope Potter was a very curious girl, Mrs. Granger thought. The first time she had seen her was disembarking the train with a limp and a cane, but now both were gone.

Hermione was already thirteen but Hope was nearly there, and it showed in both of them.

Mrs. Granger had worried when Hermione first wrote about her two new friends that they were only her friends so she could help them with their grades, but she needn't have worried. Hermione wrote constantly about how they all studied together and checked each other's work.

She had also worried that Hermione's intelligence might've been considered daunting, considering how high her daughter's marks were, but that never seemed to be the case.

Mrs. Granger smiled as she heard the laughter resonating from her daughter's room and the sound of two distinct voices before the door opened and two bodies tumbled out, moving towards where Mrs. Granger was.

"Mum? Do you mind if we go for a walk?" Hermione asked, her cheeks coloured from her laughter.

"As long as you're back before dark," Mrs. Granger told the pair who grinned widely, practically racing to the front door to grab their shoes, disappearing beyond it before she could call after them to be safe.

Mrs. Granger couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Hope Potter may have been a curious girl, but her friendship did wonders for Hermione, and for that she would always be grateful.


	40. No Distractions

The snow was falling thick and fast outside the window as Hope curled her body comfortably on the couch, scrawling notes across her parchment as she read over the contents of her Charms text.

Taking the NEWTs early hadn't really been her idea of a good way to spend her Christmas break (not that she really had breaks anymore, with her not being in school anymore, but old habits die hard), but Gringotts was insistent.

They wanted her for her skill in translating runes, but the only way she was going to work for them was with NEWTs.

Hope tried hard not to sigh.

And her first one was tomorrow!

"You are going to work yourself into insomnia," George told her as he sat down next to her, forcing her to pause her note-taking as a tray containing a bowl of onion soup was placed on top of it.

"Like that hasn't happened before," Hope said dryly, reluctantly spooning a few mouthfuls of blistering soup into her mouth. "You can't say anything, you never had to take these."

"I'm self-employed," he told her grinning, kissing her cheek with a bright grin. "I don't need them."

"I hate you," she told him before setting the half-finished bowl on the ground, attempting to return to her notes.

"No, you don't," he told her before swooping down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. Hope responded for a total of ten seconds before she shoved him away with a glare.

"Oh, no you don't!" she told him fiercely. "I've got exams to study for, no distractions!"

George couldn't help but pout.


	41. A Helping Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of Slytherin!Hope Universe

Hope Potter cursed her height more than several times during her miserably short life, and this, rather unfortunately was one of those cases.

With everyone running shrieking around about her being the True Heir to Salazar Slytherin people were avoiding her even more than they had before and Hope didn't have anyone to ask to grab the book on the highest shelf that she needed for her essay.

She was contemplating on actually jumping up to grab it when someone reached over her head to snag it.

Hope glanced up suddenly to meet impossibly blue eyes.

She recognized him easily as one of the Weasley Twins, who were rather well known through the whole school for their pranking abilities.

He cocked an eyebrow, glancing over the title. " _A Supplementary Guide to Transfiguration?"_

"Yes," Hope said, her voice level and flat, and there was something in her eyes that dared him to say something about it.

His lips curled upwards into the slightest smirk. "Do you ever think you work too much, Potter?"

"Not particularly," Hope said, barely blinking. "At this rate, Daphne and I will be in your year by next term, Weasley."

He was a strange boy, Hope thought to herself as both his eyebrows rose in surprise. But he had always been a bit strange to her, so this came as no surprise.

"Well, that'll be interesting," he told her, grinning widely, "having you as a classmate."

Hope's cheeks dusted the faintest pink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm operating under the impression that Hope and Daphne focus more on their studies and their holidays are used to get ahead of their year (thus resulting in two thirteen year old witches being in fifth year by the time it takes their year mates to reach their third year…but it's just a tentative idea…


	42. Cherry-Flavoured Kiss

Hope was having a very difficult time of it and George wasn't making it any easier that she was half-contemplating shoving the fork down his throat.

His old Gryffindor tie was wrapped around his eyes, so he couldn't see…or maybe he could? Well, she was trying to feed him a bit of pie that had actually been sent to her by Mrs. Weasley, but the pie-ladened fork somehow missed his mouth.

" _George,"_  she nearly growled, "do you have to be as difficult as a newborn?"

His smirk widened into his grin and he tapped his lips lightly. "Maybe if you give me some incentive…" His other hand was at her waist, on her bare skin, rubbing smooth circles into her flesh in a way that was very distracting as he tried to coax a kiss out of her.

"Here's an idea," she said, pulling off the blindfold that didn't work the way it should have, "eat the damn pie and maybe I'll kiss you."

"Maybe?" George was smirking again, before he allowed her to deposit it into his laughing mouth. He swallowed quickly and then pulled her down for a cherry-flavoured kiss.

"What was that about maybe?" he breathed against her lips, teasing her.

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, tangling her fingers into his hair, tilting his head back (being the taller one in the relationship for the first time, though only because she was still standing whilst he was sitting) to silence him with another kiss.


	43. Walk Through the Forest

Hope Potter was many things, but afraid of death (or Death, depending on how you looked at it) was not one of them.

Still, as she walked through the Forbidden Forest, she couldn't help but be filled with trepidation.

She had had so many plans for her life after Hogwarts, so plans with George after the war was done. They were going to carve out their own place in this world and enjoy peace and quiet for as long as they could manage it. She was going to say yes when he proposed to her for real. Maybe they'd have kids like the son she had dreamed of having since she'd seen the image in the Mirror.

But they would never see any of those plans through.

The last resting place of Hope Lily Potter lay just beyond her and around her at the same time. She was soon to be killed by the hand of Tom Riddle like her mother and father before her.

She had thought about leaving George a message, but nothing she had thought up would soothe the heartbreak of losing the girl he had spent the better part of his life pursuing for anything from a smile to a kiss.

But this was as far as they would go.

This was as far as  _she_  would go.

Soon her corpse would be lying against the undergrowth, her life cut short by a flash of green.


	44. Guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU where Hope is raised by Sirius

It had been ten years since the day that Sirius had been cleared of the murder of Peter Pettigrew and thirteen innocent Muggles by the timely intervention of Amelia Bones (now Madam and Head of the DMLE), but that didn't stop people from whispering behind their hands about Hope's godfather and it grated on her nerves more than most things.

It was yet another reason why the eleven-year-old usually kept her hair in loose dark waves and her eyes a soft grey.

"Should he really be allowed to have children?" a woman was saying to her friend as they passed they by, Hope holding tightly to her godfather's hand so she wouldn't be swept away in the crowd with her small stature. "I mean, he was arrested—"

"But he was cleared of charges," her friend reminded her.

"Oh, please," the first witch scoffed, "the Black Family is very wealthy, you don't think he couldn't have paid off the jury?"

Hope could see Sirius stiffen out of the corner of her eye and she scowled deeply.

"The poor girl," she added, "imagine being raised by a felon—"

"Imagine being raised by you," Hope said suddenly, turning back to glare as angrily as possible and look as furious as an eleven-year-old could. "At least he doesn't judge you for the past mistakes of your Ministry."

Sirius stifled his amusement at how the two ladies gaped at his goddaughter and he tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her attention forward. "How about we get you a new book on runes and get some ice cream, hm?"

Hope grinned widely. "Can we get to-go? Moony'll probably want some!"

"And we must never forget dear Moony," Sirius agreed as she pulled him through the crowd towards Flourish and Blotts, humming softly as she practically skipped on her feet.


	45. Conflicting Opinions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a snippet of the fic that will soon be posted (relatively speaking), From the Moon and Stars, which will be Free!Sirius and Remus raising Hope, who might be homeschooled, I'm not sure yet. This bit has been posted on Tumblr for a short while.

_"Take her away?"_ Sirius repeated the words angrily, cradling the small form of his goddaughter in his arms as Remus glanced awkwardly between his friend and his former headmaster, wondering if he should intervene. "I'm her _godfather!"_

"Sirius," Dumbledore said, his tone carrying a light warning as he glanced pointedly towards Hope who was still in her pretty black dress from the funeral of her parents, her hair and eyes both a dark color.

Sirius ignored this mostly before deciding to hand the sixteen-month-old to the werewolf who held her easily, rocking her in his arms.

"I'm her godfather," Sirius repeated, his words more controlled this time.  _"I'm_ the one James and Lily named in their will to take care of Hope if anything happened to them, and  _I'm_  the one who pulled her from that wrecked house before the Muggle Aurors got there."

"I understand that," Dumbledore said patiently, his hands open-faced at his sides. "But Sirius, don't you think Hope deserves a healthy environment to grow up in?"

"And you think the Dursleys are healthy?" Sirius demanded. "Lily and her sister haven't spoken since before Hope was  _born!_ How do you know she is what's best for Hope?"

"Petunia has a child of her own," Dumbledore explained, "she knows how to care for children—"

"Are you saying I don't know how to take care of my  _goddaughter?_ " Sirius nearly growled.

"—and there are protections that will be placed around the Dursley home that are absolute," Dumbledore finished.

"What kind of protections?" Remus interjected quickly.

"Blood wards," Dumbledore said, "powered by the blood Petunia and Hope share."

Sirius' eyes darkened. "Those wards are  _not_ absolute," he said, "they are flawed, and the Black family has their own way of protecting those within their walls. Good day, Professor. Don't come back."

Sirius strode past Dumbledore to wrench the door open, his face hard, and Dumbledore sighed before conceding to his wishes, the door slamming shut behind him.


	46. Utterly Ordinary

Hope Lily Potter was not special or unique, she had learned this quite early on in life. She was the daughter of a witch and wizard but many were. Her parents were dead, but she was not the only orphan in the world.

She was no different than anyone else, except everyone knew her name.

She was no different than anyone else, except she had unearthed ancient magicks that hadn't been touched in centuries.

Hope may have considered herself utterly ordinary in most ways but that didn't stop Tom Riddle from marking her as his equal, the only one who could possibly come close to killing him.

She was just a girl fighting at the head of a resistance that he couldn't hope to silence even with all his powers.

They were fighting fire with fire, but Hope wasn't afraid of getting burned; what was fire to the Cruciatus Curse, anyways?

Utterly Ordinary Hope had grown up into someone that could do damage to Supposedly Invincible Tom, it was not by her choice to begin with, but she was not fighting alone, and for that she was eternally grateful. Because those she called friends were cut from a much thicker and stronger cloth than Tom's Death Eaters were and one day soon they would see that.


	47. Hands Stained With Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In anticipation of the next chapter, in which a member of the Resistance will die (as I had mentioned to be considering), I give you this chapter.

"No!"

Hope was at their side in seconds, pulling their body to her, pressing her hands to their side trying to stem the flow of the warm blood that was seeping through her fingers.

"Get me Airmid! Now!"

A gasp of breath left their lips, haggard and raspy and short as if they couldn't get enough air into their lungs.

"Stay with me, stay with me," Hope murmured feverishly. "She'll be along soon, I promise…Heal!"

Her rune glowed on her skin, but it had little effect on the gaping wound.

"I-I'm so-orr-ry," they gasped.

"Shut up, it wasn't your fault," Hope told them, tears stinging her eyes for the first time in a long time.

"M-my id-de-ea," they managed with difficulty.

"We all went along with it, so you be quiet and save your strength, okay?" Hope forced a smile onto her lips just for them. "You're-you're going to be fine, I promise."

A shake of the head nearly had her breaking down and she could practically hear their voice in her head. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Don't you dare close your eyes!" Hope snapped, but it didn't stop them from doing so and they took one last shuddering breath before their rising chest stilled.

Hope couldn't stop the tears from staining her cheeks as she looked down at the lifeless body and the blood staining her hands.


	48. The Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poem not mine.

_**When darkness descends upon your skin** _

_**Don't let it fill you, don't let it in** _

Her hands trailed over the words, reading the words that described the ancient rituals that witches and wizards of old would perform in order to gain strength. The blood runes covered the pages and they drew her in in a way nothing else ever had.

_**Don't turn to look or let it know** _

_**That you're willing to let the light go** _

There was a darkness behind her eyes that reminded him of a dark-haired boy from so long ago who made all the wrong choices. She walked between shadows, between darkness and light. Her fate was dipped in sorrow and pain, tipping her desires towards the dark.

_**When the light is gone darkness will embrace** _

_**Those who wish it to take light's place** _

Fury and grief steadied her hand as she cast death from her wand, but fate intervened and her spell missed its mark and her enemy laughed shrilly.

_**When you find a passion in the dark of night** _

_**Be watchful of a love that blinds your sight** _

A smile would touch her lips before he kissed her and each kiss she would savour as if it was her last. He was like the sun as she was like the moon, he was good and bright and life just as she shined in the darkness, luminous and strange.

_**For darkness has a beauty that hides all lies** _

_**Tricks you to think love is before your eyes** _

She realized the truth too late and it cost her the life of a great man. She should have seen the signs, seen the lies that echoed in her ears and in her mind.

_**There is something that lurks in the dark** _

_**Longing to drink in your spark** _

It will tempt you, he had said, just as it had with Adrian, and she could feel its pull under her skin, like she had a snake slithering inside her in the place of her blood.

_**Be careful of what you see or feel** _

_**For you may be it's very next meal** _

The blood sticking to her skin filled her nose with iron as her cuts and bruises throbbed as she moved forward through the forest, darkness in every step as she approached her death


	49. The Yule Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another possibility of an AU being JustinxHope, because I think they would just be the cutest thing. ;)

"I can't ask her!" Justin said scandalized, gaping in horror at Hannah, Susan, and Ernie who were all wearing varying expressions of humour on their faces. "She's-she's- you know!"

"You're also mad for her," Ernie pointed out and Justin threw his best mate a glare.

"She wouldn't want to go with me," he said despondently. "She's one of the school champions, anyways, she probably already has a date."

"She doesn't," Hannah giggled, "I checked with Hermione…apparently the bloke she wants to go with hasn't asked her yet." She gave Justin a meaningful look that he completely missed.

"That doesn't mean she'll say yes to  _me_ ," he countered.

"It doesn't mean you should give up without trying, either," Susan said grinning widely, twisting him around as the girl of his dreams came around the corner speaking with her two best friends and laughing as she walked with a skip in her step. "Now go and work your magic, Finch-Fletchley!"

Justin's heart was palpitating uncomfortably in his chest as she pushed him so he almost collided with the girl in question.

Hope Potter had her hair set in loose blonde curls and her green eyes were shining brightly. Justin tried not to think about how great she looked or how her smile was giving him butterflies in his stomach.

"Oh, hey!" she said, slightly startled by him nearly crashing into her as Ron sniggered on her other side and Hermione hid her giggles behind her hand.

"Hi," Justin said a bit breathlessly, "I was-er-just wondering if…do you want to go to the ball with me?"

He said it very rushed and Hope blinked before an even wider grin split across her face.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said and the butterflies turned into a mosh pit. "Pick me up at seven?"

"Er-sure," Justin said faintly, surprised more than anything that she'd said yes.

"Great!"

And she walked off with her friends with an even more noticeable spring in her step.

Justin's heart had yet to calm down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A possibility. I had a dream about Hope climbing up to spend the night at Justin's place after the events of Book Four, and the two of them just sat on the bed together until they fell asleep, it was adorable.


	50. Forces of Attraction

There was something about her that was very different, something that was very…alluring, but far more subtle than the ability that Veela possessed. Dean would catch himself looking at her when he hadn't intended to.

He liked the way her words curled off her tongue, how her blue eyes glinted darkly in the torchlight, how every step she took was confident. She was like nothing Dean had ever seen.

He watched her from down the hallway as she tried to shove her books into her bag as she was buffeted by a few students as they passed her, sending two of her books toppling out of her hands and onto the floor.

Daphne knelt to grab one before reaching for the other only to find that someone had already picked it up for her. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she took it from him.

"Thanks," she said, "you didn't have to-"

"And leave you to pick up two books on your own?" Dean arched an eyebrow in amusement. "That would be terrible rude of me."

A smile bloomed on Daphne's lips at his words.

"Shall I walk you to your next class?" Dean offered, offering her elbow in a jaunty manner, inspired by the sight of her smile.

This time she actually laughed as she looped her arm around his offered appendage. "You are too kind, sir," she replied.

"Anything for a beautiful woman, miss," Dean said and her flushed cheeks darkened from pink to faint red as she permitted the Gryffindor to escort her to Arithmancy, both ignoring the looks they garnered as a Pure-blood Slytherin and a Muggle-born Gryffindor walking together without an expression of contempt and disgust on their faces, but bright smiles.


	51. Interrupted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an expanded scene from ch68, in which Hope and George ignore Ron and continue their snogging business. Mostly because I'm testing out being more descriptive in snog scenes and also because people wanted fluffy stuff

"So…what was Ron talking about that broom cupboard for?" George said, a smirk adorning his lips.

Hope's cheeks burst with colour again. "I haven't the faintest idea," she told him, taking a step back, but he stepped with her.

"Really?" George asked in amusement. "'Cause it sounded an awful lot like you wanted to snog in a broom closet…"

Her cheeks had now bypassed cherry and had gone straight to beet. "D-don't know where he came up with that idea," she said, somehow finding herself backed into the wall, and that darkened her cheeks further.

"Mm-hm…" George's lips grazed hers as he hummed in agreement and Hope felt like she was melting even if it was hardly a kiss yet. "He could have made it up, I suppose."

"He could have," Hope said, hardly more than a whisper, her heart beating rather fast as his lips ghosted over the line of her jaw before returning to her lips again.

"But I don't think so," George murmured against her, his fingers tangling in her hair as he placed a fiery kiss upon her lips.

Hope's eyes slid shut as her fingers did the same, trying to pull herself up to a more accessible height. His teeth tugged on her lower lip and his tongue probed the seam of her lips. If Hope had been in a playful mood, she probably wouldn't have given into his touches, but as it was, George's lips were very distracting and one of his hands had left her hair to trail purposefully down her back, making her shiver and gasp against him. And his tongue slid over hers as she struggled for some kind of control.

"See! Told you they were off for a snog!"

"Ron!"

George broke away from Hope to glare at his younger brother as Hope leaned her back against the wall, breathless and with her eyesight fuzzy.

"We're in the middle of something over here." He glanced over his girlfriend in appreciation, immensely enjoying the dazed expression in her eyes, paired with the wild mess of her hair and the pinkness of her cheeks which flushed hotter at his words.

"Hey!" Ron complained as he bent down to kiss her again and Hope couldn't bring herself to complain as she wrapped her arms around his neck, melting against him.

She barely heard Ron being dragged complainingly away by Hermione, her mouth sucking on his lower lip.

George groaned against her mouth, his fingers knotting in her hair as—"

A jet of cold water doused them both and Hope released a small shriek at the sudden cold as they both looked to the one holding the wand.

"Shouldn't you be doing that somewhere private?" Angelina asked with a quirked eyebrow.


	52. After Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more of Slytherin!Hope! I'm in the process of hammering out a timeline for that fic (Serpent Tongue), but I'm also working on the 'Greek witch AU' in which Harry and his older sister are adopted by Padma and Parvati's mother and they move to Greece. There's a lot of family times and rune study which I am completely into…it might be up sooner or later so I can find out what you all think of it…

"Are you aware that you are currently out of bounds, Mister Weasley?"

"Why, Miss Potter, are you insinuating that you are not?"

A crimson eyebrow was arched towards the Slytherin who was currently holding her lit wand aloft as she gave the Gryffindor a stare that he had tried to replicate several times to date to no avail.

The light from her wand made her eyes glow and she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and George's eyes were immediately drawn downwards to the legs in question.

Her skirt was the typical standard for the girls and was modest but that didn't mean that it didn't cause a distraction, even if it was only to George.

(He had tripped over his feet two days ago when she passed him on the way to the library, not that he'd ever admit that was the reason)

"I was stargazing," Hope said, in as close to a huff that George had ever heard her speak with.

"Oh?"

George wasn't sure who had stepped forward, but suddenly they were both within arm length.

"You like the stars, then?" he asked.

She swallowed thickly, the light from the end of her wand dying. "I do," she said. "But you don't really want to ask me about the stars."

"Don't I?" George was smirking; she could barely see it, but she heard it, so that was enough.

"You want to kiss me," she countered.

George wasn't sure if she knew what she was doing to her voice, how the breathless quality was turning his mind to mush.

"I do," he admitted, resting one hand on her hip and the other tilting her chin upwards just slightly.

"I've never been kissed," Hope told him at barely above a whisper as he dragged her quickly behind a spare suit of armor to avoid the next patrol.

"Doesn't matter," he said once they'd gone before leaning down to kiss her in such a way that Hope found she needed the wall for support.


	53. Coma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is that HPxAvengers crossover that I'm sure I'll get to eventually. I posted this bit on tumblr. Clintasha, of course.

Clint Barton looked into the hospital room through the clear wall that separated him from the two women in his life. And one of them was lying in a coma because of him.

A breathing tube was down her throat and her heart was monitored constantly by the steady beeping of the machine beside her. Her skin was fair, almost bloodless and mottled with purpling bruises and healing cuts. One of her arms was set in a cast and a bandage had been pasted over her shoulder, a few inches above her heart, covering the stitches that sewed up where he had shot her through with an arrow, only missing her heart because she had crouched down suddenly.

He hardly recognized his own daughter, but he did recognize his handiwork.

Natasha gave off the impression of sleep as she sat in the chair by Helen's bedside, keeping one hand around her wrist, at her pulse-point.

"You should go in."

Clint looked up from his daughter to survey Steve Rogers with a scrutinizing gaze.

"I can't," he said. "I'm the reason she's in there."

The understanding in the captain's eyes stabbed him with knives; he knew how war could change people, but Clint hadn't wanted to change until the demigod had made him.

"Maybe she'll wake up faster if you're there with her," he offered and Clint looked back towards his daughter.

It was strange to think of her as adopted, especially when she looked like him and Nat. He'd seen a picture of her biological parents and the only thing she'd shared was the facial structure and hair color of her mother, the blue eyes were clearly recessive in the family.

"Children need their fathers."

But had Helen ever really been a child? And why would she want to see him? The last time she had, he'd nearly killed her.

But Clint remembered the little girl whose eyes lit up when he first showed her how to shoot, who had accidentally called him 'Daddy' before he and Nat took her in, the girl who had so many shields to guard against enemies but had never guarded against her parents.

So Clint entered the room silently and Natasha's eyes flickered open as he smoothed Helen's crimson hair from her forehead.

"Wake up, little bird," he murmured, using the nickname he gave her when they'd first met -her small, thin, and so light on her feet that he never saw her coming- as he bent forward to press a kiss to her brow over the lightning-bolt shaped scar.

The heart monitor beeped out of rhythm.


	54. Library Shelves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt the need to fulfil the classic trope of snogging in the library, which I feel is something that will probably occur in Decryption and Serpent Tongue, since Eleni and Slytherin!Hope are more studious than the original Hope.

"You  _do_  know that I have OWLs this year, George?" Hope asked her boyfriend sardonically as she ended her essay with a flourish and began piling up her books to return them to the shelves.

It was rather late on a Saturday, and most students were back in their dormitories, though the library didn't close for another hour, with the exception of a handful of Ravenclaws, two Hufflepuffs, and one Slytherin.

"And you realize that the school year has barely started and you're already worrying about your exams?" George pointed out, arching an eyebrow as he carried her books for her as she set about putting them in their proper places.

"You have your own business," Hope countered, "with plans for getting your own shop to sell your pranking items, but I am either going to end up employed at the Ministry or Gringotts, and Gringotts sets the bar high."

She took the last book from him and replaced it in a dark corner of the library.

"I think you are putting too much stress on yourself," George disagreed, reaching to curl a loose lock of golden-brown behind one of her ears.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked challengingly.

"And you know what's good for de-stressing?"

She could feel the spines of the books against her back as he caged her against the shelf and her hands rested at his waist. "What?" she asked, taking in a sharp breath as he leaned to breathe against her lips,  _"Me."_

Then he kissed her long and hard, enough to make her very breathless very fast. Hope's eyes fluttered shut and her head tilted back, trying to quiet the moan as his tongue moved over hers.

But the moment was gone before either would care to admit at the sound of Madam Pince's heels against the ground.

Luckily, she didn't catch them, but it was a very near thing, something they laughed about that.


	55. Death's Granddaughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A snippet of the beginning of Serpent's Tongue (Slytherin!Hope) for you all to enjoy. Thanatos is a bit more of a character than he was in Looking Beyond, which hadn't been my original plan, but I like it too much.

Hope spent most of her days in the town library, immersed in the shelves, melting into the background, searching for a way into the magical side of her life, in the hopes that she would get far away from the Dursleys, and that was where he found her.

"You won't find what you're looking for there," a pleasant voice commented and she looked up.

The stranger was beautiful with a head of loose bronze curls, and etched features as though from marble like a Greek statue she'd seen in her history books. His spectacles glinted from the sunlight filtering through the window, making it impossible to see the eyes beyond, even if the lenses weren't darkened.

A dark eyebrow rose as she studied him appraisingly. "Where would I find what I'm looking for?" she asked and he smiled.

"You? Perhaps Gringotts might be of service, dearest," he hummed and Hope started at the name he referred to her with.

"Gringotts?" she asked instead, tilting her head slightly, a few stray dark curls falling out of her loose ponytail and against her neck (she didn't wear it up or long when Dudley's around, because he always took it as an invitation to tug). "What's a Gringotts?"

"It's a bank, dearest," the man spoke lightly, fingers hooking into the pockets of his jeans before withdrawing a small card and extending it to her. "You'll find what you're looking for there."

Hope's eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion as she read the address, opening her mouth to speak, but when she looked up he'd gone.

She looked around, but there wasn't any trace of him.

He'd vanished…like magic.

Green eyes considered the card and then she shoved her books back in her bag, hoisting it high on her shoulder as she exited the library swiftly, nearly knocking into a bushy haired girl walking animatedly beside her father.


	56. Who Knows Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case some of you aren't aware, the Slytherin!Hope fic, Serpent Tongue, is officially out! And I am about 2K into the next chapter! It's so exciting! So here's a snippet that I posted on tumblr for all of you to enjoy.

When Hope agreed for Dumbledore's Order to meet at Potter Manor (it was one of the most protected establishment, barring Hogwarts, not even Number Twelve Grimmauld Place could compare, not with Hope's genius wards), she was gone within hours.

She took Daphne and Hermione and vanished it the misty moor and Sirius and Remus couldn't fault her for wanting to leave; Hope had been suffering sleepless nights since Cedric Diggory's death and the Attack of Little Hangleton.

When Dumbledore discovered of her disappearance, he was not pleased.

"You should not have let her go off on her own," he warned.

Remus crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "I suppose we should have kept her here? A prisoner in her own house?"

"This isn't your school," Sirius reminded him coolly, having never quite forgiven him for not attempting to get him a trial (and where he failed, Hope had succeeded). "Hope is the master of the house and if she wants a vacation with her friends, then that's what she'll get."

Dumbledore thought they were too blind, but Sirius and Remus knew better.

Remus had been there when she was so very small. He had been there to listen to every song Hope practiced on her violin (an insistence by Mindy to keep up Pure-blood traditions), as she stumbled over her Greek, garbling it with English and rudimentary French she'd learned in Muggle school. He had been there when Hope was invited to come with Daphne to a Pure-blood party, staying up until she returned, worried out of his mind because many Death Eaters were from old families. He was the one who read her the story of the Three Brothers over and over again until she fell asleep. He was the one who taught her the etiquette of spell-casting, what to do and what not to do, how to duel with honor while keeping oneself protected at all times.

Sirius had been there when she was older. He had been there to see her wear the colors of his enemy, walking side by side with a girl with identical robes and another with gold and crimson. He had been there to teach her to dance (as his mother had taught him before, but Hope was a much better partner), to debate what constituted Dark magic, to make a massive mess in the kitchen that earned the ire of Mindy -who whacked him with a wooden spoon- and the laughter of Hope (he memorized the sound afterwards). He told her stories about her mother and father that Remus didn't know and gave her insults to use on anyone she didn't like.

The Marauders knew Hope better than the Headmaster, and they always would.


	57. A Welcome Surprise

Hope had been feeling out of sorts for weeks now, her stomach, in particular, was the worst part of the whole issue and it was constantly churning inside her, giving her the feeling that it rather wanted to disgorge all the food she'd eaten that day, suddenly and violently.

Angelina had posed a suggestion, but Hope wasn't very believing of it.

"No  _way,"_  she said, shaking her head violently. "I  _can't_  be  _pregnant!_  I mean, I've been on that potion…since…"

Hope trailed off, her eyes growing distant with thought as she tried to remember the last time she'd taken her potion. A groan left her lips as she remembered that she'd been off it since she, Bill, and Fleur went to head a dig in Egypt three weeks previously.

"Yeah, I'd just try the spell," Angelina said grinning widely as Hope considered the possibility of pregnancy.

Hope drew her wand wordlessly, pointing it towards her stomach with a small wince only to widen her eyes in surprise when the area she was pointing it towards glowed pink briefly.

A pink positive.

"I'm…I'm pregnant," she said, a bit stunned and Angelina clapped her hands excitedly in front of her.

"George is going to be so pleased!" Angelina crowed as Hope went into a bit of trance, only coming out at the mention of her husband.

"I've got to go," she said, "find George and—"

"And give him the good news? I'll bet." Angelina waggled her eyebrows at Hope as she left out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! Hope's first pregnancy! Don't worry, it still won't be happening until Hope's out of her teens, for the some of you that were concerned. As always, requests are appreciated (one day I'll get through them all)


	58. For Everything Its Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the many tumblr Slytherin!Hope snippets that I post that will eventually be posted on here...

Madam Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was not usually taken by surprise, but when the secretary told her that there was a guest there to speak with her, she had been expecting someone from the neighboring departments, but the guest was entirely different.

Hope Potter stood with thick auburn hair piled high on her head, exposing the scar on her forehead and the green of her eyes. Her lavender robes swished around her as she stepped forward.

"You are Madam Bones?" Hope inquired, eyes narrowing slightly as she shut the door behind her.

"Indeed, I am," Amelia replied diplomatically. "Amelia Bones, how may I help you Heir Potter?"

"I am here to demand a trial for Sirius Orion Black," Hope said without missing a beat and the monocle almost fell from where it was positioned in front of Amelia's eye.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Lord Sirius Black," Hope remarked coolly, "was denied a trial upon his arrest in 1981 under the Death Eater Charter passed by Bartemius Crouch that denied trials to known Death Eaters, however, I find it a bit…curious…that Death Eaters bearing the Dark Mark are walking free because a bit of money they possess, whereas my innocent godfather is condemned, despite not being branded with the Dark Mark." She quirked an eyebrow.

Amelia had to admit that nothing she'd said was a lie.

"Sirius Black has a sentence of death on his head, Heir Potter," Amelia reminded her. "Even if he was granted a trial, he would never make it to the court date."

Hope's eyes darkened to a coal-black. "Then I will sue this department for everything it is worth."

It was so calculating and vindictive that Amelia was impressed.


	59. The Muses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't heard, Hope, Hermione, and Daphne's group name will be The Muses in Serpent Tongue

It was devious and underhanded that George was impressed as he gaped at his twin, bound and gagged to keep him from giving away the girls' plan.

In short, it was completely Slytherin.

"You – _you—!"_  he jabbed a finger at Hope who was twirling her wand between her fingers in a way that was frankly scary (which was hilarious given the Potter heiress' age).

"It was a joint effort," Daphne added sweetly and Fred's eyes glowered at her.

"I didn't expect the prank to blow up in their face so much," Hermione admitted, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "We'll have to look into that."

Blowing up in their face was probably the most accurate description of what had occurred, as George was currently reeking of smoke and spilled potion.

George would have never pegged Hermione in particular for being a prankster, especially with her bookish nature, but then again, that was a quality the three girls shared.

"We concede defeat," George spoke with a surprisingly solemn tone. "Now, can I have my brother back?"

The bindings vanished in an instant and Fred rubbed his wrists ruefully, casting the girls a speculative glance.

And when George chanced a glance of his own, Hope gave him an almost imperceptible wink, her lips curling upwards slightly into a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka the hints of the future romance! It'll take a while, which is sad, but it will be well worth the effort.


	60. The Plea of an Acquaintance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Slytherin!Hope snippet from tumblr ;) Takes place -potentially- at the end of OotP

"I need your help."

Hope was the last one in the common room with Daphne still in the dorm collecting the last of her things. This was the last time that they would be returning to the school.

And a plea from Draco Malfoy had been far from what she had been expecting.

His pointed face was pale and pinched and Hope could see grey circles under his eyes.

"Please," Draco pressed, "he's going to give me the Dark Mark."

Hope looked upon him impassively. "I take it you don't want to follow in your father's footsteps?"

"No," Draco insisted, "that's why I need your help."

Hope had no disillusions about what was going to happen as soon as she and the girls left school. They were now up for grabs and with Tom out in the open, he would strike first, and they needed to be ready.

The Muses would be going on the run and if Tom Riddle wanted a fight, then that was exactly what he would get.

"I suppose its a good thing your mother requested you spend some time with your cousin in order to strengthen our family ties," Hope said mildly and Draco blinked, gaping at her.

"Do keep up, Draco," Hope smirked. "There is a lot of ground to cover."


	61. No Reason to Celebrate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another Serpent Tongue snippet about Hope's view of Halloween.

The flames in the braziers flickered, reflecting in her eyes, making them shine as green as the Avada Kedavra curse for which she had become so famous.

"Remus is coming to pick me up," Hope told Daphne and Hermione when they voiced their concern about her not coming down to the feast for Halloween. "We're going to lay flowers on their graves, besides, I don't like Halloween very much."

That was true, the girls had never seen her actually smile about the holiday that many Hogwarts students very much looked forward to, with the kind of spread that was put out.

A voice sneered to her side. "What's the matter, Potter? Figured you would have been proud of the day you became an icon."

Hope's expression became positively frigid as she turned on him, her eyes solid pools of blackness that were unnerving on the best of days and terrifying on the worst.

"Oh, yes, because celebrating the day my parents were killed just sounds like a wonderful idea," she responded icily. "Just because you're parents liked leaving a trail of bodies, Flint, doesn't mean all of ours do."

Marcus Flint snarled, reaching for his wand, but Daphne already had hers out and Hermione wasn't far behind, neither of them looking very pleased.

"You'll regret this, Potter," he warned, stalking away, but Hope very much doubted it.

And she still hated Halloween.

Because there was nothing more painful than being famous for living by the very thing that made your parents famous for dying.


	62. Snow-Spun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to reveal the kids names for awhile, but now it looks like you lot aren't going to find them out until the epilogue…so here they are!
> 
> And, as I said on Tumblr, the Greek Myths Arc will be the last major arc of Hope's story and the wedding will probably be when I officially end Looking Beyond.

It was cold was Hope watched them play in the snow, standing off to the side, her swollen belly keeping her from joining in on the fun.

James and Sirius were tag-teaming, beaning their younger sister and father with snowballs. Lily was taking it rather well, despite being so young, but that was probably because George was dramatically sacrificing himself for his daughter in a manner that left the little girl giggling into her mittens.

Then she leapt on her Sirius, shoving snow down the back of his shirt.

Hope laughed as her son yelped.

James and Sirius were identical, much like Fred and George were, and were even more of a hassle than their father had been –no doubt owing to Hope being their mother–, but Lily was a bit more bookish, like Hermione, she loved a good book, but wouldn't hesitate to jump in on the fun.

"Mummy!" James fisted her pantleg with his green eyes bright. "Are Grandma and Auntie Aggie coming to dinner tomorrow?"

Hope smiled softly, ruffling his hair to dislodge the snow there. "Of course they are," she promised. "Aunt Aggie's really looking forward to it."

And James beamed, raising a thickly-gloved hand to his mother's stomach. "Baby's missing out."

"Baby will be here soon," Hope said with twinkling eyes. "Would you like that for Christmas? A baby sister?"

Her son's smile grew impossibly wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These kids' names are similar to their canon counterparts:
> 
> James Remus Potter
> 
> Sirius Regulus Potter
> 
> Lily Luna Potter
> 
> And baby number four:
> 
> Morea Nelda Potter
> 
> It might seem like Hope's the only one naming the kids, but the Marauders were pretty important to George too, and he's always happy when Hope is ;) What a fucking dork.


	63. Two For the Price of One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for ecliptic. nebulae who wanted a scene about Hope finding out about the twins

Somewhere in the back of her mind Hope should have known what she was getting into, she really should have.

The pregnancy had come as a complete surprise and she and George had been very careful about the baby, given the injuries she had sustained before. The Healer they were seeing (sadly, it wasn't Angelina) wanted them to be careful about the baby too, so she'd been pleased with all the precautions they were taking.

But some days it felt like their son was stamping down on her spine. All of the aches and pains Hope was suffering could be blamed on their son, that much she knew.

"All right," the Healer said, "hold still, this will only take a moment."

But Hope's hand still clenched tightly on her husband's as the wand pointed towards her stomach. George pressed a kiss to the back of her hand that interlocked his fingers.

"Everything looks to be in order," the Healer said with a smile, "they're healthy."

"They?" George said suddenly. "Isn't there only one?"

"Oh, no, it looks like you're having twin sons."

" _Twins?"_ Hope said faintly. "You can't be serious." Then she elbowed her husband.

" _Ow!_ What was that for?"

"This is all your fault!" Hope proclaimed. "What was I _thinking_ marrying a twin?"

The Healer couldn't help but chuckle.

"And they are going to be terrible pranksters, I just _know_ it!"

"Well, they would have to be, with parents like us."

Hope glared at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope warms up to the idea of carrying twins, but she still curses at George in the delivery room.
> 
> Convince Me will be up in about five hours, so get ready for fluff!


	64. Bully

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Moon's Lullaby, and Viva my Vida, the second part of chapter 39

There she was, Missy Edleton's favorite target, Bucktoothed Granger.

Granger's hair was hiked up in a high ponytail that moved as she walked, her hands making gestures to the girl walking beside her.

The new girl was as far different from Granger as a girl could be; green eyes, long red hair and a scar on her forehead.

"Well, well, if it isn't Bucktoothed Granger," she sneered and both girls looked up.

Granger recoiled in surprise but the other girl didn't move. She admired her guts, but they wouldn't last for long.

"Go to hell, shithead," the red-haired girl said without so much as blinking.

Granger, on the other hand, stared at her, while Missy merely gaped.

Fire coursed inside her. "What'd you call me?" she spat angrily.

"What're you, deaf too?" The girl said with disinterest before sounding out the word carefully. " _Shit_ - _head_ , in case your brain was too slow to follow that."

"Hope," Granger warned, tugging on her arm, but the girl, Hope, ignored her.

"How dare you!" Missy seethed. "I didn' do nothin' and you're insultin' me! All in front of your _girlfriend—"_

If she had been hoping to insult her, she failed.

Hope snorted. "That's cute, trying to blame me for your mental shortcomings, and, unfortunately, 'Mione's not my type. And, unfortunately for you, I really hate bullies, so why don't you run along before I get _inventive."_

Her green eyes gleamed malevolently and somehow the girl –no more than thirteen years old– was making her want to turn around and run away.

And that's just what Missy Edleton did.

"Hope," Hermione reproached, "that wasn't nice."

"Was she ever nice to you?" Hope retorted and Hermione sewed her mouth shut. _"Exactly."_

"You're horrible," Hermione sighed fondly, looping her arm through Hope's again as they continued on their way.

Hope winked. "You like it."

Hermione giggled at her friend's antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope being defensive of Hermione is one of the things I really love. This OT3 takes no shit from anyone about any of the OT3. Say something bad about Ron, and Hermione and Hope will come after you with their wands. Say something bad about Hermione, and Hope and Ron will come after you with fists. Say something bad about Hope and you'll be shown the way out by an irate witch and wizard.
> 
> Requests?


	65. Legend and Myth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit about Hope becoming Nelda, because who doesn't love that?

Hope had lived long enough and done enough that the name Hope Potter was legendary. It was a name that had people whispering under their breath and pointing at her awe in their eyes. This was the slip of a girl that had taken down Voldemort with a single spell, the one who had worked alongside the Resistance -the group she had formed with her friends while still in school-, systematically dismantling the Death Eater forces over the course of a year.

Hope had come to mean hope.

But Hope was not a safe name to bear any longer.

Nelda, on the other hand, was a myth. Stories of the sea-witch were still uttered about events that no one could say for sure had really happened. But Nelda Blackwood had lived and Nelda Blackwood had died just as tragically, which was quite typical of myths.

Because one was either famous or happy in myths, and heroes in myths always seemed to suffer so much.

So when Hope stepped into Elysium as Nelda Blackwood, she was looked upon in a far different light.

Because Hope's accomplishments might have been legendary, but Nelda's bordered on mythical.


	66. Sisterly Details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EmpressLupin wanted some ST!Hope and George, so here you go, along with some Slytherin!Ginny, which is still an idea that I'm considering.

The first time George Weasley realized he was falling for the sarcastic Slytherin was towards the beginning of his sixth year and from then on he knew he was doomed.

"Its not a bad thing, liking her," Ginny said in a bit of annoyance, her hands resting on her hips as she glowered at her brother, the movement making her green-and-silver tie sway. "Hope's cool."

And she was, George would've been the first one to admit it, but Ginny also knew first-hand Hope's kindness; after all those issues in her first year, Hope and her friends had shown up out of the blue with a tent in hand, insisting on taking his sister out for a few nights. His mother had been reluctant, but when she returned, it was like the dark cloud over her had been banished.

"That's not the problem," George complained, exhaling a sharp breath, "she's – _you know!–_ and I'm just…I'm just _me!"_

"Don't go feeling inadequate, George," Ginny said with narrowed eyes. "Trust me, the way she smiles at you isn't like how she smiles at anyone else, trust me. And she thinks you're clever—"

That drew George up short briefly. "She thinks I'm clever?" he asked in a voice so very different from his own.

And Ginny could only sigh and shake her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All righty: So, Serpent Tongue is currently on hiatus until Looking Beyond's completion (sorry but that's just going to be the way it is) and its possible that by chapter 170 we will be officially done and ST can come off hiatus, but until then, enjoy these snippets.


	67. Survival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a snippet of From the Moon and Stars -the Sirius and Remus raise Hope!AU that I'll be writing once Looking Beyond is completed.

Hope Potter took a new name when she was barely five years old but of sound enough mind to make the choice.

Hope Potter perished in fire and Elpis Black was reborn in the flame, tempered in steel. She had been raised by a werewolf and a duelist and she held no disillusions about the world.

When she was ten she missed an Avada Kedavra by a merest inch from a Death Eater (because only someone stupid would believe that they'd all reformed), but Sirius had taught her spells that made the AK look like childsplay.

The shadow of Voldemort hung over her, choking her, but Elpis never gave in. Once she had lost a mother and a father to Voldemort; she was determined not to lose her two other fathers.

Elpis had no friends when she turned eleven, she did not go to Hogwarts, there was a rising darkness looming and safety for someone like her was long gone.

Once, the Death Eaters had floundered at the loss of their Dark Lord, but now they were gaining power again and Elpis Black and Hope Potter were one in the same; the famed Girl-Who-Lived who hated the title tirelessly.

When Elpis was eleven she met a young girl with bushy curls and a book tucked under her arm, trembling as she clutched at her mother's hand.

"My-my husband!" the woman gasped as she locked eyes with Remus. "They killed him! Why-?"

The girl's name was Hermione and she was the first of many to arrive at their doorstep (a safe house that changed every few weeks to months to give their searchers the slip).

"Are we safe here?" Hermione had asked her.

"We survive here," Elpis corrected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone's aware: there are several AUs I will be writing upon request, currently the list stands as:Through Hazel Eyes (Jily!Alive AU), From the Moon and Stars (Sirius and Remus raise Hope AU), The Future Queen (Modern Royalty AU), Istari!Hope AU, and JustinxHope AU
> 
> If you have any requests to add, let me know!


	68. Alatar the Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an early snippet for the Istari!Hope fic I am considering writing once Looking Beyond is completed

She would have been better suited as a Alatar the Green, green suited her far more than blue, but she seemed rather attached to the color so Olorin conceded.

The Istari were known as wise men, old with long beards and robes that brushed the ground, which was what made Alatar so odd.

Alatar was young with fair cheeks and thick hair, no matter how old her eyes were. And she had the uncanny ability to change her appearance at will. Sometimes she was a young woman with dark red hair and green eyes, an appearance that Olorin was sure to be as close to her true appearance as possible, but many times she was a dark-haired and blue-eyed individual.

"What do they call you now?" she asked him with an amused smile, holding out a up of his favored tea to her old friend. "Gandalf?"

"Indeed," Gandalf chuckled. "Gandalf the Grey."

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, before looking out to the pier beyond her home. Alatar had chosen to reside at Mithlond, the Grey Havens, a great healer to those in need, when she wasn't traveling that was.

Gandalf had never known the true nature of the runes etched into her skin, they were, after all, for a language he knew nothing of, but she touched them briefly before she returned her gaze to him.

"You should visit more, Gandalf," she reprimanded lightly. "There is so little to do these days that I may have to start traveling again!"

Gandalf chuckled. "I daresay Radagast could use the company."

Alatar was one who didn't mind the earthy Istari's eccentric attitude and she smiled softly at the mention of him.

"Alatar, my dear…" Gandalf was one of the few who could get away with calling the Istari such, even though he was certain her magic was greater than his -and perhaps Sarumon's if she wished to contest against him- "what do they call you?"

Alatar's smile drifted slightly as her expression became thoughtful. "I think I was called Hope once," she said, though that thought seemed to make her sad and she shook her head, "they call me Morea now, Morea of the Earth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shini is still requesting long one-shot fic ideas for Hope!


	69. Lois Lane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm considering a Hope-becomes-Lois fic to write (which is probably a product of my obsession with DC Comics), to be included in my AU list

"You're a hard person to track down."

"Maybe that's for a good reason."

He looked over the cup of dark muck that she had called coffee when she had ordered some for him.

"You look good, Hope."

She looked to him sharply. "Don't call me that, its not my name, not anymore."

Fred Weasley swallowed thickly as they continued to walk down the busy street of the place she now called home, a place in the United States called Metropolis.

Hope Potter had been wanting to get as far away from being that person as possible when she'd shed the name and taken on another (like the chameleon she'd been since the day she was born, changing her appearance as she saw fit). Lois Lane, reporter for the Daily Planet, had no magical background. She was just a woman with a large inheritance hoping to make a difference in the world.

"I'm sorry," he said thickly and Lois' eyes shifted away, dark and blue, the exact color of his eyes, and of Fred's. The one thing that would remain a constant reminder of what she had lost.

The scar on her forehead was gone, but if she lifted her right hand he would have seen it against the meaty part of her palm. She'd taken on an American accent, but it didn't sound right to Fred without a British lilt.

"I loved him too," he said and Lois blinked furiously, averting her gave to look down at her own cup which the barista had scrawled the four letters of her name so hastily across.

"Not like I did," she said, thinking of George Weasley with his dancing eyes and laughing mouth, thinking of the body in the coffin that had been lowered slowly into the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will start as a tragedy (and its going to make me cry just to write it, I know it), but it'll get better.


	70. Fancy a Gillywater?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the very first idea I wrote out for Serpent Tongue. Obviously, I've amended it, but I still might use a few ideas later down the road.

There was never one without the other; Hope Potter and Daphne Greengrass were hardly seen out of each others company. They were closer than friends, more like sisters, like James and Sirius had been.

But the pair were far more studious than Potter's father and godfather. The year they arrived they were jumped up to second year and the year after, fourth.

Her eyes were a green, but much darker than her mother's, more close to the shade of an emerald and her hair was always in long dark curls that were occasionally swept up into a bun, her curls not all remaining contained and falling out to rest against her neck.

She had high cheekbones and delicate eyebrows and a straight back and confidence even as people whispered (and sometimes just outright said) about her behind their hands.

Hope Potter didn't smile much, and it seemed like not many things made her happy, perhaps having to do more with how the other Houses treated her as a Slytherin and being the Girl-Who-Lived.

Hufflepuff, in particular, considered her the enemy after she hauled Cedric Diggory's corpse back to Hogwarts whilst covered in blood (it would later be discovered that several pardoned Death Eaters were found in Little Hangleton), but she let them hiss at her.

"Why don't you fight back?" George Weasley had curiously asked her and Hope had looked so surprised that he'd almost laughed, but that would have been in poor taste.

"I know my own worth," she said, seemingly unconcerned, "I know they blame me for Diggory's death, and they're not wrong…but its still going to take more than that to make me snap."

The next day he sat beside her in Charms class, surprising his twin and Daphne who had to relocate to his seat. Several others gave the pair strange looks, including Flitwick himself as he called for roll, but Hope herself didn't comment, in fact, she barely spoke.

But, then again, Hope was remarkably quiet, still somehow managing to get a title by the whole school along with Daphne. Hope was known as the Serpent's Tongue while Daphne was given Ice Queen, and the two titles fit them quite well.

Hope was the girl that had brought Sirius Black, her newly innocent godfather, as her partner to the Yule Ball and who was always having tea with Lupin when he taught, often joined by Daphne. She was the girl whose dearly missed person in the Second Task was her best friend, and the one ignored boundaries when she wanted to speak with her friends, Gryffindor Hermione Granger and Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood.

They sat side by side for weeks, moving from not speaking at all, to exchanging a few words, and then conversing as though they were long time friends.

"What're you doing on Saturday?" George asked conversationally as Hope concentrated on turning her candle-holder into a cat.

"Nothing at the moment," Hope said, her eyes still on the candle-holder.

"Fancy a Gillywater in the Three Broomsticks?" George asked her with a grin and she blinked, lifting her eyes to look at him.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked in surprise. People tended to shy away from her; she couldn't recall anyone wanting to go on a date with her.

"Yes," he smirked, leaning forward on his elbows which were braced against the desk as he looked at her expectantly.

Hope considered him for a moment. "Alright, then," she said, "A Gillywater."

"Great," George grinned, ignoring the sound of his twin sniggering behind them.

Hope turned back to her work, her lips twitching in one corner when he leaned forward suddenly to whisper in her ear, his breath prickling her neck and making her hair stand on end.

"And the wand movement's more of a jab," he breathed before giving her a swift kiss on the cheek.

Hope flushed brightly and her candle-holder shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any more requests? I'm determined to end AGNH on the same number of chapters as LB.


	71. Morea Potter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the Greek Myths Arc is finally done, so you know what that means? We're back on track!

Morea was the youngest of the Potter children, the fourth born, the second daughter, but she was no less loved than any of her siblings. Her mother had grown up in a loveless environment and her father had grown up in a loving one and they showed their children with enough love to make their childhood far greater than some were given.

Sometimes her mother had to go away for a few weeks on assignment with Uncle Bill or Aunt Fleur or Aunt Aggie, working on something for Gringotts, but she always made sure to mirror-call just to see her children smile.

Going to Hogwarts had frightened her and she wasn't afraid to admit it, she'd gotten so used to her parents being around, her father's antics and her mother's pranks in retaliation.

She was also frightened of the Sorting Hat, of the choice it would make.

"You don't need to be afraid," her mother had said, kneeling down in front of her, brushing a loose curl behind her ear. Of her children, Morea was the one who had inherited the most from Hope Potter and the least from George Weasley. Her eyes were the same shape and color as Hope's and her hair was dark like Hope sometimes changed hers to be, as dark as her grandfather's had been. "Fear is natural, there's nothing wrong with it, but the Sorting Hat isn't some terrifying thing. It only affects what classes you have and where you sleep, who you are…that's in here." She tapped a finger against Morea's chest over her heart.

"Okay," Morea murmured.

"Okay," Hope smiled, giving her tight hug and kissing her cheek. "Kiss your dad goodbye and get on the train before it leaves without you."

A frantic expression overtook her daughter's face and she ran to bid her father farewell before running into the train.

George arched an eyebrow and Hope couldn't help but chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These dorks are adorable parents.


	72. Pasithea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having major AU feels, so here's a snippet from the Hope-gets-raised-as-a-Blackwood AU I'll probably end up doing at some point.

Pasithea Blackwood was named for one of the Graces of the Ancient Greeks, but names like that weren't amiss where she lived and grew up. And the Blackwood girls liked to joke that their names were a bit of mouthfuls, as Pasithea's sister bore the name Agathe. Agathe was shortened to Aggie and Pasithea was shortened to Thea.

Her mother had never said a word about Pasithea not being of her blood until she had graduated from Athene Academy –a year later than the typical– but Pasithea had always known; the red of her hair –though it could change by will alone– was too dark and the shape of her eyes were too almond-like whereas her siblings gained their mother's delicate slant.

Pasithea didn't mind being adopted, especially given the circumstances that had surrounded her coming to live with Thalia and her children. Her parents must have loved her very much to die for her, but Pasithea was alive and well because Thalia had shielded her and kept her safe as well and that took more sacrifice than she had originally considered as a child.

So when someone came knocking at the door while Pasithea was bouncing her niece lightly in her arms to give her darling sister-in-law who was still recovering from the trying birth that had nearly claimed her life, Pasithea answered it as quietly as possible.

The man was old, reminding her of her old headmistress, but Professor Vasiliou had always seemed practically ageless even with the wrinkles adorning her face and the sheet of grey that was her hair, whereas this man's age seemed to weigh him down.

He wore crescent spectacles over glittering blue eyes that were far too calculating to compare to Thalia's when they crinkled in the corner as she laughed, and his robes were far too obvious to be from the Greek Isles; Greek wizards tended to meld with the mortal fashion.

"Can I help you?" she asked, keeping a careful arm around young Hemera while the other was hidden from sight, clutching the hilt of one of the serpent blades she had propped against the side of the door –a gift from Thanatos for her tenth year– beside Galen's sword and Agathe's bow.

Hemera babbled incoherently, blue eyes fixed on the wizard's sleeve, and Pasithea could understand the fascination; she could sense the death magic there too.

"I hope so," he replied in a jaunty sort of voice, nearly bouncing on his heels. "I'm looking for a young witch by the name of Hope Potter."

Pasithea's grip tightened over one of her blades at the name. Thalia had told her no lies about the name she had once possessed, but she had always preferred Pasithea Blackwood more; in Greece the Blackwood name meant something, the Potter name didn't. She might have looked slightly like her birth mother in the color of her hair and the shape of her eyes, but she had Thalia's cheekbones and her jawline and the scar that had once been in the shape of a lightning bolt now bisected her eyebrow in a straight line that she would have looked odd without.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," she uttered coolly, "there is no Hope Potter here."

"I am not mistaken, Hope."

Her teeth bared briefly at the intimate use of the name she had never used; for those who didn't know her, to call her such stopped just short of insulting her. " _My name,"_ she hissed, "is _Pasithea Blackwood_. There is no Hope Potter here. Come here again and you'll find yourself in a world of pain."

And then she slammed the door shut in his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm totally in love with Pasithea, she's definitely going to happen if I have to cut off a limb.


	73. Retirement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might take place in the next chapter, it's a scene I'm still planning out

It was late and everyone was gone but Hope liked it better when there were fewer people around, particularly when it was just her and George.

He leaned against the bed, curling a lock of her hair around his finger. "Please tell me this is the last time you'll be disappearing off into the blue?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Gods, I hope so," Hope sighed, "I'm officially retiring from the whole saving people thing, it's much too exhausting."

George smirked and quirked an eyebrow. "Finally going to settle down with dear old Georgie?"

"It's on my list," Hope grinned widely, "right under snogging you something fierce."

"Is that so?"

He didn't give her time to answer as he took her cheeks in his hands and pressed a light kiss to her lips, but Hope wasn't having any of that. She brought her hands up to tangle up in his fiery strands, bringing him closer to her, skin to skin, like puzzle-pieces, half-pulling him onto the cot with her.

She couldn't even feel the wound on her abdomen as George responded in kind, his lips teasing hers, coming close and drawing away before she could claim a passionate kiss from him once more.

"Tempting little she-devil," he breathed in her ear and Hope didn't bother to deny it.

"All I want is a decent kiss," she pouted, "is that too much to ask?"

"You're the one in the hospital, love, not the other way around," George smirked in reply. But there was something in the lightness of his touch and the look in his eyes.

"You are a _cruel_ man," Hope decided.

"You're the one who ran off for three months, came back, and then ran off for two more months," George pointed out and Hope opened her mouth to counter but instead she sank into the cushions once more.

"All right, you have a point," she muttered.

"I know," he grinned, his lips grazing over her pulse-point on her throat, feeling how its rate picked up by that merest touch as they drew their way up her throat, over her jaw to make their way to her mouth as she swallowed thickly.

"That's not playing fair," Hope pointed out, barely breathing against his mouth.

"When have I ever played fair?" And then he kissed her and Hope's eyes fluttered shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still doing requests. There are some from past chapters that interest me, but if you've got something, let me know!


	74. She Was Named Hemera

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For ecliptic. nebulae who wanted something with Agathe and Hope

Agathe for all her jests, never married Ajax, maybe that was her fear at play, but bad things tended to happen with marriage in her mind. Her own father abandoned his family before killing his grandchild, her brother's wife died and a few years he followed suit, and Hope's parents were killed when she was only one.

When she had learned that she was pregnant, she had been terrified, remembering how Dianthe's life had flickered out soon after her daughter's birth, remembering how James and Sirius' birth hadn't been without complication, or the circumstances surrounding Morea's.

"If something bad happens, you have to promise me you'll take care of her," Agathe had clung to Hope and Hope didn't try to counter her as her mother had, if there was one thing Hope understood, it was growing up without a mother.

"I promise," Hope said solemnly as Lily toddled up to her mother to show her the book her daddy had gotten her.

But to Agathe's surprise, nothing had gone wrong and the first thing she remembered was waking up to Ajax cradling a bundle in his arms, an expression of awe and struck happiness on his face.

"How is she?" Agathe whispered, fear clogging her throat.

"She's _perfect,"_ he murmured, locking eyes with her, "and you've made me the happiest man on earth."

He kissed her sweaty brow and Agathe breathed in relief.

"I want to name her Hemera," she said.

Ajax wasn't surprised as he adjusted the bundle in her arms so she could hold her child for the first time, the child who wasn't quite as dark as her father, nor as light as her mother but had a tuft of her mother's fiery hair on her head.

"Hemera suits her," he said, pressing a light kiss on the baby's slumbering cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ajax and Aggie are adorable, which is what I need in my life.


	75. What's in a Name?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because headcanon that after the war there's an influx of children named Hope or after other heroes.

In retrospect, Lily decided she _hated_ the name Hope.

Don't get her wrong, she loved her mother, and the name Hope was fine, but it was the fact that she had already met four children named Hope in the course of waiting for the doors of the Great Hall to open.

"I was named after a great hero," Hope Kleating said proudly with her nose in the air and Lily resisted rolling her eyes.

"What a surprise," she said dryly.

Lily had been named for two, Lily Potter I and Luna Lovegood, her aunt, the very same aunt who doted on Lily like she did her own daughter –the very same daughter that Lily was standing hand in hand with because of her shyness–, the very same aunt that had given her a necklace of Butterbeer caps for luck.

"Jealousy is an ugly thing," another of the Hopes piped up and Lily wondered if James and Sirius would applaud her for punching them in the nose. (Probably, but Mum wouldn't be pleased, even if Dad was amused)

"Why would I want to be named Hope?" Lily sneered. "Then there'd be two in the house with my name. Besides, you'd have to be really narcissistic to name your daughter after yourself."

Alice hid her giggles into her hand as stupefied realization dawned on the others. Honestly, it was surprising to took so long; Lily had inherited her mother's eyes and that color couldn't be faked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that Neville picked his daughter's name, which is why its a bit normal, but the children that follow Alice are more likely to be picked my their mother ;)


	76. Behind Closed Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in the Serpent Tongue universe…I'm not sure if I've written something like it or not…

There was a crack in the door and Fred, Hermione, Daphne, and Ginny were glued to it, looking at the scene beyond with obvious interest.

Anger was overflowing from Hope, in a way that Hermione could never quite recall her appearing, but George had that affect on her.

" _How dare you_!" she snarled, clenching her hands into tight fists before jabbing a finger into George's chest. "How _dare_ you accuse me of running from my problems, George Fabian Weasley! How would _you_ like it—?"

But how he would have liked it, none of them discovered, because George, incensed with his ears as red as his hair, had surged forward, cupping her cheeks as he kissed her for all that he was worth.

Daphne scowled, handing ten galleons over to Fred who gave a silent snort as George released her suddenly, leaving Hope standing there, as flustered as she had been beforehand, lips parted in surprise, but then she surprised everyone.

She grasped a fistful of robes and dragged him down to her level, kissing him much more fiercely than he had kissed her, and then his hands were in her hair, knotting through her intricate braid and ripping it loose as Hope locked her arms around his shoulders.

Ginny nudged Fred's arm and he grudgingly handed over five galleons to his sister.

"That's really not fair," Hope gasped once their lips parted enough to speak, her arms still around him and his still holding her to him.

"Hm?" His lips brushed faintly against hers.

"I had a point," Hope said, clearly annoyed but also dazed and George laughed at her vexation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, these dorks, and you're still waiting until GoF for the cutesy stuff, haha!


	77. Like Broken Glass

Hope is not an easy person to love, that much had always been painfully apparent. She was all sharp edges, like broken glass trying to fit itself into a window pane lacking any cracks.

She had odd views on magic, and controversial ones on the Ancient Arts, she liked things better when they were old, not new, she liked to stargaze and read books and ride her broom.

But she was also bitingly sarcastic and snarky, full of fire that always blazed and never seemed to be lacking any fuel.

Yet somehow she'd found herself here, at Hogwarts, with Ron and Hermione, the first friends she could safely say that she had ever had. It was a surreal kind of experience of her.

Ron laughed with her sarcasm and Hermione rolled her eyes, giving up on changing her mind, and it was that kind of thing that stuck with Hope even years later.

Ron and Hermione had befriended her as she was, they didn't have to try to make her change, they just fit themselves around her, like puzzle pieces.

Hope wasn't any easy person to love, but she still found kinship in their eyes and companionship in their hearts.


	78. Playing Fair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Serpent Tongue has started up again and now I'm going through some serious Geope withdrawal, so I thought I'd write some (hot) snogging with my favorite pairing. I've been reading too many M-rated fics recently, but LB!snogs were always a bit chaste and I like the idea of ST!snogs being a bit less so.

Honestly, it was getting more difficult to think with Hope mouthing along the column of his throat, all lips and teeth. He swallowed thickly as she nipped under his jaw, a low groan parting from his lips before he could silence it.

Hope chuckled. "You like that?" she purred, drawing back briefly with eyes glittering and George didn't even speak, he just gripped her arms and twisted their positions so Hope was the one pressed against the wall, his mouth against hers, robbing her of her breath. Her lips parted and she gasped against him, gripping him tightly to her.

His teeth tugged at her lower lip before his tongue tangled with hers. She was panting and red-lipped when his mouth left hers to trek down her throat to where her throat met her shoulder. He could feel the tension radiating off her as she sank her teeth into her lower lip in an effort to silence herself.

"That's not really fair," he breathed, sliding from her throat to her mouth again.

"I never play fair," Hope responded, amused and eager as she tugged him down for round two.


	79. Third Task Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another ST snippet, this one from GoF

Hope leans her head against the cool stone, listening to the calls and the cheers of the students getting situated, waiting for the Third Task to begin.

Sirius and Remus are down there, she knows, with her aunt and cousins, and that doesn't help.

Her shaking hands wrap around the serpentine hilts strapped at her waist.

"Nervous?"

She starts as George comes to lean against the wall opposite the window. Hope swallows thickly, and that is answer enough, glancing down at the floor.

She doesn't see how the flames flickering in the braziers cast delicate shadows across her face, curling under her eyelashes and around her jaw; George follows the shadows with his eyes until he has to force himself to look away, his heart skipping a beat in his chest.

"I didn't want to do this in the first place," Hope mutters finally. "I've never been one who likes people watching me."

The shadows darken the sharp dots she had patterned on her arms, the ones that form constellations (there are more, but George has never seen them).

"You'll do fine," George says, "it'll be something to remember, hm? Slytherin champion."

That didn't appear to help very much.

"Of course, if I fail, it'll be chalked up to my being a Slytherin," Hope sighs.

"Don't worry about that," George says, not even thinking as he reaches a hand out to lift her chin when it drooped suddenly.

His eyes are blue, like a mix of sea and sky, Hope's absolute favorite color. She didn't realize how distracting it is.

"You're going to kick Diggory's arse, I'm sure of it."

Her lips curl and George chases after them, tossing his fears aside.

Hope's eyes flutter closed as their lips meet, his warm and insistent, as if he was trying to prove his words to her.

And then the moment is gone and Hope is leaning her forehead against his, steadying her heart.

"I have to go," she whispers, her eyes flickering to his mouth briefly.

He catches her hand before she can leave and presses a kiss to her knuckles that is terribly formal and utterly distracting and he sees how her breath catches, struggling to find a reason not to stay, but then she says, again: "I have to go."

And he lets her.


	80. Caught In Her Throat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which George discovers a way to shut up Hope (a Serpent Tongue possibility)

"Why do you have to make this so hard?"

George quirked an eyebrow. "You're the stubborn one, love."

He'd been calling her 'love' for years, but usually the tone had been sarcastic or humorous, but now it sent a shiver down her spine, and he knew it.

"Stop that," she said, though the words were weak in her mouth.

"Stop what?" He brought her hand up to press his lips against her knuckles and Hope's voice caught in her throat at how he looked at her, how his mouth lingered on her skin.

There was a pleasant buzzing in her ears as her eyes flicked behind him quickly, but her door had been shut securely behind him a few moments earlier, and it was so hard to look away from those eyes.

"Stop getting in my head," she finally managed as his kisses moved from her knuckles to her palm. Hope swallowed noisily and she fisted at the hem of his shirt.

He hummed against her skin and Hope choked over her tongue, something he took note of, his eyes blue and dark and gleaming as his mouth drew over the pulsating veins at her wrist.

Hope's mouth went dry.

"And here I thought you liked that I could get in your head…"

She couldn't tear her eyes away from him, but Hope was going to be damned if she let him get the upper hand on her.

Hope's hand disappeared from his grip and George blinked in surprise before her arms were around his neck and her lips just brushing against his lips. That was distracting.

"Depends on the day, really," Hope breathed before kissing him soundly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need some romantic Geope scenes like you wouldn't believe.
> 
> In other news, I've written a fic in the Check Please! fandom, and I've got a lot of good feelings about Cold-Blooded :)


	81. In The Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another scene from book five of Serpent Tongue ;)

"You should go back to the manor, Fred's probably missing you."

"Nah, he actually kicked me out, something about me being a lovestruck loon."

George admired the faint flush that adorned her cheeks as she walked ahead of him at a surprisingly brisk walk for someone as short as she was (compared to him).

"It was one kiss," Hope complained, leaping easily across the stream before continuing on her way.

"Technically, it was three," George informed her, grinning brightly.

"It was _not!"_

"No, see, there was the one before the Third Task," George ticked them off on his fingers, "and then I kissed you yesterday, and then you kissed me, so that's three, love."

"Who's counting?" Hope grumbled to herself, letting out a small yelp when she skid in the mud, only to be stopped by the arms that wrapped swiftly around her waist, drawing her back into a warm chest.

His breath tickled her neck as he murmured: _"I am."_ Punctuating the words with a light kiss against her pulse point and Hope positively melted.

Then she turned in his arms, fisting his shirt's material at his sides, getting distracted by what she should look at, the impossible blue of his eyes or his smiling mouth.

Hope swallowed and he grinned, clearly noticing her interest.

"I've never done the whole relationship thing," she said a moment later, "I like you, _a lot_ , and, admittedly, you're not bad at snogging—"

"Not bad?" George was full-on grinning now and the flush on Hope's cheeks darkened.

"—but it's all very new and I don't want to mess anything up," she finished.

"Trust me, we're probably enough messed up as it is," he promised and Hope laughed into his chest as he pried one of her hands loose from his shirt to raise it to his lips, pressing a light kiss to her knuckles as she looked to him.

"My lady," he said in a mock-knight sort of manner that had Hope rolling her eyes. "That makes four."

"Ugh, you're _unbelievable!"_

"That's why you like me," George agreed, bending down slightly, his grip around her waist tightening so that Hope was forced to wind her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground.

"You drive a hard bargain, Weasley," Hope remarked dryly, "what's it going to cost me to get my feet on the ground again?"

They were hardly a few inches, but neither appeared to care.

"I think a nice kiss would be more than enough," he said, barely stopping speaking when Hope's lips were on him, and she kissed him just like last time, full of fire, teeth nipping and tongue sliding; it was hotter than he remembered.

Then Hope jerked away, startled and George dropped her and she tugged him quickly behind a tree with troubled look on her face.

"What is it?" George asked, breathless.

"Someone's trying to break through my wards," she said, deeply disturbed.


	82. Chess King

George didn't understand what had gone wrong, the prank had gone off perfectly, but the next thing he knew Hope's face had bled white and she'd disappeared from the Great Hall.

"I'm sorry," he said to her three days later when he'd managed to snag her elbow after Potions class. "We didn't mean for the prank to offend you…it was meant to be a truce."

Hope's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Daphne said you like green, and Hermione said you really like star-gazing," George explained. "We wanted to do something you'd like as a truce."

"Oh," Hope said, surprise clear in her eyes, even when he lifted her hand to place the chess king into her hand, curling her fingers around the piece before offering another muttered apology and turning away when she spoke again.

"It's the last thing I remember," she said and he paused turning back to see her smoothing her fingers over the chess piece, "from when I was a baby, the last thing I saw was a flash of green."

Her eyes met his, impossibly green. "I have nightmares about that night…but thank you, it was nice of you to try."

George raised a hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

"And my favorite color is blue, not green," Hope added with a lopsided grin. "Now did you want some help with that Charms essay that's due in an hour?"

"Er, yes please," George nearly squeaked, but it was worth it to hear her laugh.


	83. In the Dead of Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now have a personal headcanon that since Hermione is in Gryffindor and Daphne and Hope are in Slytherin that she goes to the twins with her epiphanies. But also mostly to freak them out.
> 
> For CupcakeOfAwesomeness because they liked the idea so much

"Fred!" came a hiss. "Fred, wake up!"

"Mm?" Fred mumbled, rolling around in his bed, determined to avoid the speaker until they gave his shoulder a sharp tug, then he was grabbing at his wand and flashing a bright light in the face of the speaker.

Hermione was standing beside his bed with her hair unbound in kinked curls that he'd never seen outside of her usual braids, and Hermione definitely wasn't supposed to be there.

He gave an undignified yelp, throwing himself violently away from her and tumbling over the edge of the bed, making George awaken, sharply.

"Wazzgoingon?" George slurred blurrily.

"Hermione," Fred complained, "its, like, two in the morning."

"Its midnight," Hermione supplied helpfully, crossing her arms as George realized she was there and pulled his blankets up to his chest, but she didn't so much as blink. "I think Hope's going to do something reckless."

"I thought she was always reckless," George said blankly as Fred struggled to remove himself from the blankets.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She's not reckless, she's stubborn, there's a difference."

"Personally, I think it might be a bit of both," Fred grumbled, pulling himself back into bed. "Go to sleep, Hermione, we'll deal with Hope's problems tomorrow."

Hermione opened her mouth to refuse.

"She's not going to do anything before morning, is she?"

Hermione considered it. "Probably not."

"Then let me sleep, woman," Fred muttered, burying his head under the pillow an Hermione sighed, looking to George who gave a helpless shrug.

"Oh, you're no help," she muttered before disappearing down the steps, leaving George and Fred a bit dubious.


	84. Spilling the Beans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because we all want to know how Hope told George she was pregnant ;)

Hope had had a plan, she really had, but somewhere from the time she found out she was carrying a child – _her_ child, _George's_ child– things had gotten a bit blurry.

And George was kissing her and it was hot and distracting and Hope could barely think, moaning against his mouth as he caught her wrists and held them down to the couch.

"Mm," she hummed blissfully when his lips left hers briefly, "you're in a good mood today."

George loomed over her and Hope tried to lean forward to snag his lips with her own, but he kept out of reach, prompting her lips to form into a pout that made him chuckle. "What's wrong with showering my darling wife with love and affection?" he breathed.

Hope Flashed and flipped them so the one caught against the couch was George and he made an attempt at being annoyed.

" _Hey!_ No Flashing!"

"Oh, what the hell," Hope muttered, making him pause in confusion as she ran her fingers through her hair. "George, I'm pregnant."

Arguably, there were so many better ways to have told him that information, preferably not when Hope's lips were red and bruised from his kisses, her shirt half unbuttoned and love bites dotting her skin from the column of her throat down to her collarbone, and probably not straddling the man that had gotten her knocked up in the first place.

"You're…pregnant?" George's mouth had fallen open, his eyes going wide as he held her waist tightly as if afraid she was going to run off.

"Four weeks," Hope said, leaning forward, leaning over him as he came to grips with that bit of information. "I've been trying to tell you for the past four days but life keeps getting in the—"

And then he tangled his fingers into her hair and kissed so unlike how he had before, so full of emotion that Hope's breath caught in her throat as she responded eagerly.

"We're going to be parents," he murmured when they parted. "We're going to have a _family!"_

Hope didn't think she'd ever seen him quite so happy and she swallowed thickly, bobbing her head. "We're going to be parents," she laughed, throwing her arms around him and kissing him enthusiastically.


	85. Haniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, if you're following my fanfic tumblr greygryffindor, you know all about this, but I've been coming up with some snippets to a Supernatural!AU with Hope as the archangel Haniel…which probably won't see the light of day for awhile.

"Okay, but I've seen pictures of her with other hunters, old pictures, and she looks the exact same," Sam pressed, "she hasn't aged a day."

"I dunno what to tell you boys," Bobby countered with a shrug, "there's a rumor going around that she's some kind of mythical creature, a Valkyrie or something like it, a creature of battle, but Hope's too kind for that."

"But she's not human," Dean said, crossing his arms, "how do we know we can trust her?"

There was a soft flutter of wings. "You don't."

All three turned to look at the speaker, red hair falling over her shoulders as she narrowed her green eyes at them.

"Looking pretty spry for being born in 1911," Dean said with a snort.

Hope laughed. "You're so sweet to think me so young."

Dean choked on his drink and Sam gaped.

"Exactly how old are you?" he asked curiously.

"I've never really been good with time," Hope said, brushing a hand through her hair. "Sometime before Creation but after the Beginning?"

"When was that?" Bobby asked, but all Hope gave him was a wink before her expression cooled as she turned on Dean.

"Dean Winchester," she said, taking a step forward, "the reason hunters know what they know about monsters and demons is because of me. If you are looking for the oldest known hunter with the highest number of kills, then look no further. I'm not a monster and I am not a man, nor am I a god. I can assure you, if you tried to strike me down you would fail." Her eyes gave an unearthly glow of pure energy that had him taking a step back.

"Dude," Sam hissed, "I think you pissed her off."

"Not at all." Hope smirked, the glow fading. "Amused would be a better word…Bobby has my number, call if you need anything. I'm not above answering a prayer."

And then she vanished in hardly the blink of an eye and another flutter of wings.


	86. The Archangel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of that SPN!AU that might be written at some point, since you guys love it so much.

"The angels are looking for someone," Castiel finally said, his eyebrows drawn together as his eyes shifted from one brother to the next, "and they aren't above killing others to find them."

"Who are they looking for?" Sam asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"The Archangel Haniel," Castiel said, eyes growing distant, "Michael and Raphael are looking for Haniel because of their close ties with Lucifer before his fall."

"They want to interrogate another angel?" Dean snorted, taking a swig of his beer. "Who is this guy?"

"Haniel is known in the form of a woman," Castiel said shortly and Dean got the feeling Cas was a bit annoyed.

"I've never heard of a female archangel before," Bobby interjected from his wheelchair and Castiel turned on his heel in order to look towards him.

"You wouldn't," he said, "she's been gone from Heaven for eons, almost as long as God himself. Besides, Haniel was always considered to be the weakest based on the sex she preferred to be identified as, that and she had no wings."

"No wings?" Sam's eyebrows rose.

"None that anyone could see," Castiel conceded. "There were whispers that she was God's first mistake, but she's the eldest of the archangels and the angels and she's very powerful and dangerous, especially if she sides with Lucifer."

"But you don't know that she will," Dean countered.

Castiel gave a helpless shrug. "I think she's managed to stay out of heavenly conflict for more than two thousand years and she won't like anyone dragging her back in."

"An archangel that doesn't fight, _super_ ," Dean muttered and Sam elbowed him in the side before he noticed the glare Castiel cast towards him.

"There's a reason you're telling us this now, isn't there?" Bobby presumed, eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Castiel nodded. "You've been in close contact with her recently, within the past few hours."

"That's not possible," Sam shook his head, "the only people who we've been in contact with were a hunter pair two towns over."

"Their names?"

"Kat and Hope."


	87. Clash of Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk about an influx of spn!au love over the past two days! My tumblr and ffnet have been blowing up! There's more of it on tumblr, but I'm sure some of it will end up on here too.

The thunder rumbled high up in the sky and the lightning crackled fiercely as two archangels stood in such close vicinity to one another even in the downpour. Hope could practically feel the rage rolling off Raphael, but that was nothing new, arrogance and anger were two things that Raphael understood quite well.

"I will not be spoken to by an archangel with no wings!" Raphael's eyes flashed with anger and Hope arched an eyebrow, unimpressed, her hands stuck in her jacket's pockets, a subtle movement jostling the hidden archangel blade hidden within enough for her younger brother to flinch back in preparation for an attack that didn't come.

"Rather old to be having a temper tantrum, little brother, aren't you?" she said coolly, shifting so she was standing just slightly in front of her hunter protege. Kat was not so subtle. In her hand was the angel blade that Hope had gifted her soon after she'd taken her on, taken from a foolhardy angel that had sought to strike Hope down, her grip on it tight and her shoulders tense. "Need I remind you that I am the eldest of our father's creations and I can choose to permit others to see my wings, a skill you have not yet learned."

There was a flash of light from the lightning and a shadow of wings at her back couldn't have been made clearer than if they were seen in daylight.

"Do not slight me, Raphael," she warned, "to me, you are but a child who hasn't yet learned to speak in articulate sentences."

And if there was one who could inspire fear into Raphael, it was Haniel, the eldest of the archangels.


	88. Merciful Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to the Supernatural AU that you lot clearly love so much, this scene takes place in Hammer of the Gods

Lucifer thrust his arm forward, intending on running Gabriel through when a loud cry caused him to pause just centimeters from the archangel blade breaking his skin.

"Lucifer, stop!"

Gabriel blinked blearily, looking towards his sister, her red hair flying over her shoulders from the speed of her materialization, her hands outstretched without a weapon in hand.

"Hope, get out of here," Gabriel groaned.

"Haniel," Lucifer hummed, "and here I thought you'd stay out the fighting."

"I am, you know I am, Lucifer," Hope spoke gently, approaching on light feet. "But I can't bear to watch my brothers destroy each other."

"So you'd choose him over me?" Lucifer retorted.

"No, I'm not," Hope said, cupping one of his decaying cheeks, "I'm asking you to let him go, let your little brother go, Lucifer…I know you're not without mercy, please, Lucifer, spare our little brother."

Lucifer glanced from Hope's face, desperate and soft, to Gabriel's, fearful and worried for his sister's safety.

"Go, Haniel," Gabriel rasped, switching to her true name, "He'll kill you!"

"Shut up, Gabriel," Hope and Lucifer said, both ignoring him despite that he was still being held by Lucifer's tight grip.

"Please, Lucifer," Hope whispered, "haven't enough angels died? I don't ask for much...please, let Gabriel live."


	89. Hope's Herbs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of the SPN!AU

_Hope's Herbs_ read the sign over the door and Sam looked at Dean with an arched eyebrow. "This doesn't really seem like the kind of place Dad would frequent."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean rolled his eyes, tugging the door open and slipping inside.

It was a nice shop, larger than he'd been expecting. There was more space than anything else, and most of what rested on the circular racks was, as the sign had said, herb in nature, but there were also various crystals, and candles, and talismans and Dean couldn't help but whistle lowly.

"Nothing witchy going on here," he muttered before twisting at the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Gabe, this is my tenth message," a female voice complained, "I know you're annoyed with me, but…let me know that you're okay, all right? I love you."

The woman striding out of the back room, shoving her phone back in her pocket, was pretty, startlingly so, with dark red hair falling down her back and bright impossibly green eyes.

"Boyfriend trouble?" he presumed with an easy smile and those green eyes darted up to meet his.

"Brother, actually," she said thickly, making Sam think English wasn't her first language. "Can I help you find something?"

"Um, we've got this card from our dad," Sam said, holding the one with the shop's address out to the young woman and she took it.

"John Winchester," she said with a scoffing smirk, "what's that asshole done now?"

There was just enough resentment in her voice that Sam's eyebrows rose, but Dean went on the defensive.

"Hey, that's our dad you're talking about!"

"I'm aware," Hope said dryly, pulling a basket of dried herbs from under the counter to begin sorting it. "And the last time I saw your father I told him I'd kill him if I saw him again…and now Sam and Dean Winchester are gracing me with their presence, so that makes me think that dear old John's gone rogue and you want help finding him."

"Sounds like you two had a complicated past," Sam smiled and she gave him one of her own.

"Let's just say a lesser person would've ended up dead after what your father pulled on our last hunt," she said, "I'm Hope, by the way, Hope Potter."

"You're a hunter?" Dean said dubiously.

"Sweetheart," Hope said, unimpressed, "I've been hunting longer than you've been alive."

At that both of their eyebrows jumped high on their foreheads.


	90. Necromancy Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IWantColoredRain wanted a bit of the Hope-raised-as-a-Blackwood so here you go!

She didn't look particularly fearsome, not compared to how necromancers were usually depicted, that much Tonks knew as she sat across from the girl, considering her.

She was a pretty young thing, still a slip of a girl, a few years off from seventeen she'd wager, with red hair and blue eyes and a scar slicing through her eyebrow. Her jeans were well worn and protective charms dangled from her throat.

"Can I go now?" the girl said coolly. "I have a job to do."

"Well, you broke the law by performing necromancy," Tonks had to acquiesce, "we have to hold you. What name should I put down?"

"Pasithea Blackwood," the girl bit through her teeth. "And you can tell your Head Auror that unless he wants an international incident on his hands, he'll release me."

"And why's that?" Tonks asked a bit absentmindedly.

"My mother is a close personal friend to the Director of the Magical Greek Isles," Pasithea said shortly, "and we don't like Britons very much, especially since the last one had to be forced out of the warding around our house."

Tonks arched an eyebrow.

"I was hired by your Gringotts to do a job, which I did quite brilliantly, and Ragnok was well aware of the need for necromancy and approved its use," Pasithea said, leaning forward, her eyes glittering black briefly, surprising Tonks. "So I really don't think those charges are going to stick."


	91. Abaddon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to the spn!au

The shackles on Haniel's wrists were heavy and made them ache something fierce. She had never felt so weak before, _so violated_ without her grace vibrating within her. Now she was just an archangel inside a vessel whose soul had long since ascended to Heaven. Now she was just human.

Her face was bruised, her lip split, and her ribs ached under her skin.

Haniel had never quite liked the Men of Letters before, they had a tendency to keep far too much information under wraps, and somehow considered hunters to be 'apes' which was incredibly ironic given that both factions were human.

How they managed to get the drop on her, she'd never know…a spell perhaps, but then they'd interrogated her fiercely, as though she was a monster that could be easily broken.

It had been manageable until they'd realized she was an angel –thankfully, they remained ignorant to the fact that she was the first of the archangels– and then the ring of holy fire had been her closest companion.

Once she got out of these chains and had her grace returned to her, she was going to _smite_ every Man of Letters she could find.

The distant sound of yells and screams startled her and she jerked her head up towards the ceiling of the dungeon when the noise suddenly quieted and then the only thing that she could hear was heels clicking on the tile and then the figure came into view.

Haniel arched an eyebrow at the sight of the woman in a pale blue dress, stained in blood.

"Hello, Haniel," the woman said, her eyes bleeding black. "My name is Abaddon, Lucifer sent me."

Haniel's lips parted in surprise as the fires around her went out and the demon grasped the bottle containing her writhing grace.

"Bottoms up," Abaddon said, uncorking it and Haniel's body surged as it entered her body once more and all she could see was a bright white light.


	92. Ancient Arts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Salazar and Hope talk

"I see you have a deep interest in the Ancient Arts." His fingers tapped lightly against the old leather-bound book as he glanced up to meet hers.

He wasn't quite what she'd been expecting, Salazar Slytherin. In his younger form it was harder to equate him with the man that was made into something terrifying by the majority of Hogwarts. He was fair with high cheekbones and dark loose hair falling around his face but not hiding his pale green eyes. They were remarkably similar in appearance, she noticed.

"Earth Magick, mostly," Hope acquiesced. "But yes."

"That's good," Salazar's lips curled. "So few choose to learn them, but, then again, few are healthy to learn."

"You mean some drive you mad?"

"Yes, that," Salazar agreed, eyes still focused downwards, tracing over his wife's handwriting with a light smile. "Of course, there are many kinds ancient magicks that the world has forgotten, and this book?" He tapped on it again for emphasis. "It barely scratches the surfaces. Its only the first in a series."

"Where's the rest?" Hope asked, flummoxed.

"I think I've quite forgotten," Salazar said, his smile turning a bit embarrassed, "I'm only a shade, after all, only what I deemed important is what remains jangling about in this dusty old head of mine."

Hope arched an eyebrow. "Are you offering to teach me the Ancient Arts?"

"Its does seem that way, doesn't it?" he mused thoughtfully. "Do you want to learn?"

"Absolutely," Hope said without a second thought.


	93. Prometheus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm playing around with the idea of Pasithea (Hope raised as a Blackwood) being with Prometheus in that AU, instead of George

Pasithea was in the process of searching for a book on runic translations in the Blackwood family library, humming a soft tune to herself as she trailed her fingers over the spines of the books, smiling when she felt his presence more than heard it.

"Darling," she said, "I'm working."

She still jumped when his arms wrapped neatly around her waist and his lips kissed directly under her ear. "You generally are, Pasithea," he hummed and she rolled her eyes at the use of her full name, abandoning her search for a book to permit herself to be spun around and pressed against the shelves.

Prometheus' eyes were much darker than hers, accustomed to darkness for far too long, and his auburn hair was nearly black. There were at least three reasons not to be romantically involved with a titan who was several eons older than Pasithea, but she could never seem to remember even one when he was around.

She traced her fingers over the scars covering his arms from when Aquila the eagle was done pecking out his liver and his lips trailed down the curve of her neck, making Pasithea's eyelids flutter.

"Its a bit forward, isn't it?" she managed to get out with difficulty.

"Hm?"

"Snogging in the family library," she said wryly, "when my Mum doesn't know I'm dating anyone."

Pasithea could feel his smile. "What can I say? You are very distracting."

"I'm sure you say that to all the girls," Pasithea responded, still tracing over his scars with vague interest when he pulled back to look her in the eyes. He was breathtaking in the way a Greek statue was, beautiful beyond measure and unapproachable and distant, or so it had seemed when they'd first met. But Prometheus was a very passionate individual, whether mortal or titan.

He kissed over her scar that bisected her eyebrow and went through her eye, the _Avada Kedavra_ when she was a child, her mother had once told her, and her eyes slid shut briefly.

"I love it when you call me that," he murmured against her mouth as she slid her arms up and around his shoulders, trying to chase his lips blindly, a movement that made him press her more firmly against the stacks and chuckle when she pouted.

"Call you what?" she asked, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

 _"Darling,_ " he teased and Pasithea turned pink. "It makes me feel...I don't know, treasured, perhaps...its been a long time since I've felt like that."

Pasithea's smile turned soft. "I'm glad... _darling."_

Prometheus laughed and strangled her own in a fierce kiss that had her moaning into his mouth, only stalled by a sudden clearing of a throat and Pasithea jerked her head back to look to her mother in growing horror.

"Pasithea," Thalia said with a bit of amusement, "I don't believe I've met your _friend."_

This was definitely not how Pasithea wanted to introduce her boyfriend to her mother.


	94. In Your Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A scene that could potentially take place in book two of Serpent Tongue

The last thing Hope remembered was a flash of large yellow eyes before everything in her body shut down and she crumpled into darkness, but now she could breathe easily with sunlight falling down on her, warming her skin, now she could feel the grass beneath her fingers.

Hope opened her eyes slowly, wincing in the sunlight, and she moved even slower as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

She'd been to Greece once, the summer before term had started up again, staying with the Blackwoods as they showed her the sights. Aggie had been quick to drag her to the beach while Galen disappeared off with his girlfriend, but Hope couldn't remember enjoying a holiday so much, barring the previous ones she'd had with just Remus and her friends.

This place, it looked a bit like Greece, the sea clear blue-green and plants in full bloom. It looked like paradise.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

It took Hope a sluggish moment to realize that there was someone with her, and then she found herself staring, because the likeness between the woman and the sketch that was tucked within Salazar's journal was rather evident. Dark hair fell out of a half-undone braid with impossibly bright eyes gleaming.

"We're off the coast of the Aegean Sea," Morea Slytherin hummed. "Where my sister and I grew up."

"I didn't realize the Avis family was Greek," Hope said a bit weakly, and that made her smile even wider.

"My father was from Italy, yes, but my mother was Greek, from the Anastas family, very old, very revered." Her eyes grew distant for a moment. "I take it you know who I am?"

"You're Morea of the Earth," Hope said, her eyes still painfully wide.

"And you're Hope Potter, or do you go by Elpis Slytherin?" Morea tilted her head curiously.

"Depends on who I'm with," Hope muttered, taking her time to look upon her surroundings. "Not to be rude, but two seconds ago I was with my friend Hermione...so how did I get here? And where exactly is here?"

Morea considered her. "Where do you think you are?"

A crease formed between Hope's eyebrows. "Well, the Basilisk's stare is fatal...so I'd think I was dead and in Elysium?"

"Not quite," Morea chuckled, "but you are rather close."

Hope's befuddlement must have shown on her face.

"You're not dead, Hope Potter, at least, not yet. Its a unique skill afforded to those of Lord Thanatos' blood...this?" She gestured them. "This is all in your mind."

Hope looked started at the prospect. "This isn't real?"

"Oh, darling girl," Morea laughed, "whyever wouldn't it be real? Just because this is happening in your mind doesn't make it any less real."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the good stuff is happening in book two, I swear, and I like the idea of Morea using a similar phrase to the one Dumbledore used on Harry in DH


	95. Stars Along Her Skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm headcanoning that George likes kissing the star tattoos that Hope has/will have in Serpent Tongue

Hope was smiling lightly as she read over the passages in her book that she was using that night. "Is this you trying to distract me?" she laughed, keeping her eyes to the parchment while George kept a light grip on her hand, drawing it close to his mouth and peppering the stars there that formed Aquila with kisses. "Because its not really working."

George's eyes glittered. "We'll see about that," he said with a grin before pulling the book from her hands, but Hope was mostly done with it, so she couldn't complain, though she did arch an eyebrow as he tugged her closer to him.

His thumb smoothed over her hip where the Gemini was patterned and Hope breathed in sharply.

George grinned. "You know which constellation of yours I like the most?"

Hope smirked, twisting an arm around his neck and hitching a leg over his hip and George swallowed before curling a hand around her jean-clad knee. "Do tell me, dearest?"

George tipped her chin back with narrowed eyes. "You're goading me, aren't you?"

"I would _never!"_ Hope refuted, curling her fingers into his hair. "Besides, you haven't seen all my constellations."

"Not completely," George responded, trailing a few fingers down her spine and reveling in how she arched, following the line of the Serpens constellation. "But it's the one right _here."_

He pressed a kiss against the star Regulus of the Leo constellation on her throat and Hope swallowed with difficulty as he kissed each star painted across her skin.

"You're only saying that because you're a Gryffindor," Hope remarked a bit breathlessly as nipped at each spot where he'd left a kiss.

" _Mmhm,"_ George hummed against her neck, making her shiver, "also because of easy access."

When Hope rolled her eyes it had absolutely nothing to do with what he was doing with his mouth. And when George had left a mark that left nothing to the imagination, Hope flopped back onto the couch, pulling him down with her so he was balancing above her.

"You know, what I think, Georgie, dearest?"

George's brain had short-circuited when he'd looked at her like she was. Under him with her hair falling out of her tight braid and in disarray, marks the shape of his mouth dotting her neck over small black stars, green eyes bright and cheeks flushed.

Two fingers caught the collar of his shirt, dragging him down so she could murmur against his lips. "You should have asked me out _last year."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm looking forward to when these two are actually together because their fluff scenes will be way steamier than LB's


	96. About Last-names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To go with a headcanon I had awhile ago

Nelda's gran was the one who had inspired her name. She had lost count how many times her mum had told her about how Gran had gone on the run briefly using the name Nelda Blackwood.

"Gran?" Nelda asked one day when she was spending the night at her grandparents' to give her parents a date night.

"Yes, love?" Hope Potter smiled at her while George cleaned the dishes in the kitchen -there had been a humorous game to decide who would get the job that night.

"Why do Mum and Uncle James and Sirius, and Aunt Morea have a different last names?"

It had always struck her as odd that the siblings were: James Potter, Sirius Black, Lily Slytherin, and Morea Blackwood.

Hope smiled. "Oh, darling, your mum and uncles and aunt just like to keep the old lines alive."

Nelda frowned, not really understanding. "Cousin Helen is a Blackwood."

"Yes, she is," Hope agreed. "But the Black and Slytherin families have nearly died out...I suppose Sirius and Lily were always a bit sentimental about their relations."

Hope's smile grew soft and the wrinkles around her eyes were almost indiscernible; she never looked more like the woman in the portrait on her wedding day.

"What about Aunt Morea?" Nelda asked before laughing delightedly as her grandfather swept her up into the air, twirling her around.

"Your Auntie's always been more Blackwood than Potter or Weasley," Hope said with faint amusement.

"Amber said mummies and daddies are supposed to have the same last name," Nelda said when she was set back on the ground once more, thinking about the words of her friend. "Mummy and Aunt Morea and you don't have the same last name as your partners."

Her mother had ingrained in her to use the neutral term of 'partner' rather early. "Your Aunt Morea's private life is no one's business but her own," her mother had said in reference to her sister's partner after her husband's untimely death, a woman named Adeline Green who Nelda, to this day, still called Aunt Addie.

"That is because your gran and her daughters are too stubborn for that," George teased, poking his granddaughter in the stomach, making her giggle. "That and there are far too many Weasleys."

That only made Hope laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morea is bi as hell, pass it on.


	97. Sensitive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this headcanon about George's ears being sensitive, ST!verse

"Its beautiful out here."

The sand was stuck between George's toes as they walked across the beach, their fingers interlocked and their free hands swinging their shoes.

"It must be hard to leave to go back to Hogwarts," George added.

"Sometimes," Hope agreed, looking out on the surf, "fourth year was pretty tough. I was just about ready to pull out and study from home."

George's eyes softened. "I'm sorry," he said, stopping and forcing her to stop in order to keep their hands linked.

"You made it bearable," Hope countered only to turn pink when he raised her hand to his lips. Her skin tingled where his lips brushed and she swallowed.

"That's very distracting," she said when he lifted his mouth from the back of her hand, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Oh, yeah? Distracting like... _this?"_ His eyes gleamed as his arms spun around her waist, dragging her so close to him that she was already breathless before his lips robbed her of it completely.

Hope tilted her head back, raising a hand to knot in his hair, eyes fluttering closed until he drew back looking very pleased.

"Distracted like that?" he asked smugly.

Hope considered him before standing on her tip-toes to whisper in his ear. _"Not quite."_ She sealed it with a kiss just under his ear and she couldn't have made up how he squeaked at the feeling.

"Aw, Georgie, are you _sensitive?_ " Her eyes positively gleamed and a flush rose high on his throat, spreading across his face and dusting the top of his ears. "That's _adorable."_

George looked annoyed with himself, but he still allowed himself to be dragged down, Hope's lips searing across his like fire while her finger smoothed along the curve of his ear. George shivered and lost his balance and Hope laughed until they rolled themselves into the sea and then she gave a shriek at the cold, but that didn't stop George from flicking water at her.


	98. A Fraud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on tumblr (greygryffindor), a possibility for book two of Serpent Tongue

The first day Ginny Weasley wore the green and silver tie she felt like a fraud. She was a Weasley in Slytherin. She knew her parents (her mother) had sent congratulating letters to her brothers when they'd made Gryffindor, but nothing came for Ginny.

Ginny was miserable at the thought and the treatment the other Slytherins gave her.

"Ginny!" Hermione smiled, her red and gold tie done up to her throat. Hermione was the one that surprised Ginny the most; her two friends were Slytherins and heirs of noble houses, but Hermione didn't have sharp cheekbones or cool stares, she had soft features and bright eyes.

"Come sit with us," Hermione invited while Daphne and Hope took their schedules from Snape, Hope giving the man a flat stare, turning her hair a deep red so suddenly that Snape's sallow skin turned grey.

Relief flowed into her blood.

The key, Daphne told her later, was to have thick skin and be handy at spellwork. Ginny had looked at her grandmother's wand with dejection.

"How do you feel about a new wand for a Christmas present?" Hope asked her in October when the pull of the diary became stronger and stronger and Ginny had started in surprise.

"You don't need to do that," Ginny said, scowling; she hated handouts.

"Consider it an investment," Hope responded slyly before moving past her towards Gryffindor Dean Thomas who was looking a bit lost.

"She's in the third door on the right," she informed the boy in very much need of a potion's tutor, and then she cast a wink towards Ginny who felt her lips curling on their own.

Did she really need that diary of hers?

 _Yes_ , a voice whispered in her mind.


	99. Bravery and Stupidity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a tumblr prompt

Remus wasn't impressed, not in the slightest.

"I hope you lot have learned that there's a difference in being brave and being stupid."

It was the day after the full moon and Remus wasn't feeling great, which was compounded on the fact that Peter Pettigrew had slipped through his fingers, Sirius was on the run again, and he'd almost killed his pseudo-niece the previous night.

All of the children in front of him looked a bit repentant, which Remus thought was a wise course of action, seeing as they almost got themselves killed.

Running around in the forest when there was a werewolf out and about was easily the stupidest idea Remus had ever heard of.

Still, he could have sworn that there was something off between Hope and George because they were both on the outer edge of the grouping, clearly avoiding each others' eyes.

"Don't do it again," he warned and all five of them nodded solemnly.

He sighed, looking at them all, wild-eyed and exhausted.

"Get some sleep," he said, "you've got a few more hours until class starts, might as well use it to get some shut-eye."

And they made their way out in a straight line, completely silent, something he doubted would last.


	100. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another tumblr prompt that might take place in book five.

Retrospectively, Hermione should have known that something was going on, this was Daphne she was talking about after all, one of her closest friends since she was eleven.

But there were things that they didn't tell each other. There was no thrill of discovery if they knew everything about each other.

Still, she should have realized something was off when Daphne smiled more, and with smiles that actually reached her eyes, or when she'd come to Morea's Room with her plait ratty (and Daphne was a never-a-hair-out-of-place kind of girl), or how she'd disappear for hours on end.

"Wow," Hope said impressed when Daphne finally told them. "Dean Thomas? You've got good taste."

"How long has this been going on?" Hermione said staring at her blankly.

"A bit more than a month," Daphne conceded.

"And you're just telling us now?"

"Well, I wasn't sure how you'd react, I mean, look at Hope and George!" Daphne pointed towards Hope who arched an eyebrow in amusement. There was a glamour charm running along the side of her neck where her boyfriend had left an undeniable trail of love bites last night on the Astronomy Tower.

"I'm going to assume that has something to do with a Gryffindor and Slytherin dating and not my snogging habits," Hope said dryly and Hermione snorted while Daphne rolled her eyes.

Sometimes her friends really were too much.


	101. Unmovable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another tumblr prompt on the tragic side

Hope seemed to be frozen, an unmovable statue that time just seemed to pass by.

The water from the rain had plastered her hair and her clothes to her skin and Galen was almost certain he'd never seen anyone look as much like a drowned rat as she did.

But he'd never say that out loud, not with her eyes red from tears, blood still wet against her hands.

Galen had had to physically pull her away from the body, her sobs drowned out by the thunder.

"He's gone! I'm sorry, but he's gone!"

Hope hadn't said a word since, not even when Aggie tried to coax the speech out of her, not even when Thalia had tried to get her to eat something.

Dianthe approached, her arms cradling their young daughter whose radiance couldn't come close to affecting the somber mood. "How is she?" Dianthe murmured as she handed Hemera off to her husband.

"Terrible," Galen said quietly. "Its like something broke inside of her."

Dianthe's eyes grew painfully soft. "She loved him. I don't think anything's going to repair that hole George left in her heart."

Hope's fingers trembled over the chess king her boyfriend had once worn around his neck and she couldn't quite get his sightless eyes out of her mind.

Her shoulders shook and she swallowed her tears.


	102. Civilized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another tumblr prompt focusing more on Dean and Daphne

"You know, there is a way to get rid of all of our problems," Daphne said in a considering sort of voice that Dean wasn't entirely he liked.

"Get rid of Malfoy?" Dean snorted. "If only."

"We could have killed him."

He jolted, twisting to look at her in surprise, the deadpan expression on her face making it difficult to tell whether or not he should be taking her seriously.

"Killed him?" Dean spluttered. "Wait, _what,_ literally?"

"I'm just saying we should keep our options open."

"Not for _murder!"_

"What's going on?" came Hope's voice as she came close with her arm looped in Hermione's, both wearing identical expressions of polite confusion.

"I'm debating the merits of murdering the scion of the Malfoy family," Daphne informed her friends, and Dean thought it was a mark of how strong their friendship was that the pair didn't even question it.

"I don't know," Hope hummed, "I don't think Lady Narcissa would like you killing her son."

"Maybe she should teach him to mind his tongue and to speak like a _civilized_ human being," Daphne grated out and Dean saw Hermione's grip tighten on Hope's arm.

Second year was going terribly, especially with all that business concerning Slytherin's supposed heir attacking Muggle-borns. Daphne had snapped on Malfoy when he'd brought up Dean's bloodline and he knew Hermione experienced the same.

He looked to Hope, noticing the light circles under her eyes and how the color of her eyes had turned to a bleak grey, her dark inky hair falling limply over her shoulders, lacking the usual elaborate up-does she sported.

It wasn't easy when the whole school had it out for you.

"That's probably more of Lord Malfoy's fault," Hope said dryly, as though she couldn't see how terrible she looked. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"We were going to get some treacle tart from the kitchens," Hermione said the pair, "want to come?"

Both Slytherin and Gryffindor were on their feet in seconds, following after them eagerly.


	103. Price of Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this has been up on tumblr for awhile and its for the LOTR AU with Hope as an Istari

There was nothing more painful than watching the ones she loved die and Hope Potter had seen far too much for it.

Everyone grew and aged around her, but it was as though Hope's biological clock never really started working after she became the Master of Death.

There was always a price for such power.

Hope had tried to give it up, but Death would not accept it and so Hope was left to suffer immortal and sorrowful with an unending kind of pain that she could bear no longer.

She threw herself from a great height over sharply jutting rocks and the last thing Hope saw was the sky, clear and blue, brighter than George's eyes when he smiled.

She breathed no more.

Then she breathed anew, rasping for breath, gazing into the blinding light that cocooned her.

 _It is all right_ , came a kindly voice like bells in tandem, _you live, Alatar._

Alatar was an unfamiliar name to Hope, she had never gone by it, but she would rather be anyone than Hope Potter.

The one who had saved her, the one who had made her anew was called Ilúvatar, The One, and he had offered her salvation when she was lost and death would not come.

 _Awaken, Alatar_ , he said.

And blue eyes opened.


	104. Suffer in Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm toying around with several prospective ideas for ST's book two.

Hope was tired, tired of listening to all the lies, all the glares, all the mutters of her being a Dark Lady. After all there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin. She was bitter and furious and no one was _listening_ , no one _ever_ listened.

Her whole third year she'd dealt with the Slytherins complaints and insults about her and the dubious anxiety of the other houses, because how could the daughter of two Gryffindors not end up in her parents' house?

Eventually she found she had no voice, and she was so tired of it all that she was surprised to discover that she hardly cared about that fact.

She schooled her face into a calm mask and didn't flinch and didn't speak.

Daphne and Hermione noticed first, but even they couldn't get her to open up, to speak her mind.

Fred and George noticed next and their concern was palpable. Hope was flattered by how much they cared, but she was done trying to defend herself; she shouldn't have even needed to defend herself, Parseltongue was an _inherited_ skill.

She was only going to speak when she actually had something important to say, and as far as she was concerned, rising to the bait the rest of the school had left her was completely and utterly useless, just like _they were_.

Her anger stewed within her, festering inside her like an open wound until one day she followed after Hermione, rounding a corner in the Hogwarts Library, her eyes meeting a pair of great big yellow ones that made everything melt away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating Hope not speaking for awhile…I'm not sure if I'm going to do it, but we'll see…any thoughts?


	105. The Siren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ship that once belonged to Nelda Slytherin will be making an appearance in fic at some point.

Pithos, the home of the Slytherin family, was absolutely breathtaking, in a way that only those who appreciated ancient history could fathom.

Hope's fingers roved over the surface of Nelda's twin sabers from where she'd removed them from the chest at the foot of her bed.

Hope had always liked the idea of two when Thanatos had first suggested she train, even giving a long dead Centurion as her trainer. She had started with one and had only moved up to two when he'd deemed her adequate.

She tilted the blades and for a moment she saw a pair of pale green eyes reflected there, but when she blinked, they'd gone.

There was a whisper in the air and the door creaked, making Hope twist around to see the door ajar and inviting.

Her brow furrowed as she stood, moving to the doorway, only to feel a warmth in the air breezing past her in the direction of the stairs. It was pleasant and smelled like the sea.

"Nelda?" Hope whispered, but she received no answer.

She followed it through the castle to the base only to end at a trapdoor hidden under a rug. Hope descended the rungs of the ladder until she landed in darkness and moist earth.

With a snap of her fingers, there was a handful of flames held within her hand, illuminating the way. She followed the winding path until it opened up into what must've been the cave underneath the cliff that Pithos was mounted on and Hope had to stop and stare.

The Siren, Nelda's prized ship, sat beautiful and breathtaking swaying with the ebb and flow of the water.

It was even more stunning that Hope could have possibly imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone in the Slytherin family has to indulge Nelda's sea-witch tendencies


	106. A Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An idea I'm playing around with for the end of book 4 of ST

"Are you going to be all right?" Ginny asked and Hope gave her a small smile.

"Not for a while," she said, looking out on the Black Lake. Ginny could see the Siren tethered there next to Durmstrang's ship. Personally she liked the Siren much better, and she'd been aboard it. "The girls and I are thinking about taking off for awhile…sailing the seas."

That made Ginny smile. "What would the Greengrasses and Grangers say?" she asked.

"They gave their permission," Hope chuckled softly. "Astoria's coming along, and she wanted to know if you would too."

"I—" Ginny floundered, thinking of her best friend. "I'd love to…but Mum…"

"I believe she was thinking more along the lines of you running away with us," Hope mentioned dryly. "But it's your choice. We have to pick up Aggie in Greece, though, she'd never forgive us for sailing away without her…she might actually murder me in my sleep."

Ginny laughed. "Do you want me to come? I would've figured you'd want Fred or George around, especially George."

Hope's cheeks darkened to a pink, which Ginny thought was a bit of a victory. "Girls only this time around, maybe next time…so what d'you say? Come and sail the seas with us?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this rate Astoria and Ginny might end up being roommates and best friends by book 3


	107. Honor and Loyalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a tumblr prompt

Hope looked from Draco to his mother, her expression guarded.

"I, er," Draco choked, "I might need a place to stay."

The rain pattered down on them where they were standing next to Hope's massive galleon ship, The Siren. Draco had known that she gone sailing on it with Granger, Greengrass (both of them), Weasley, and that strange cousin of hers that made him wonder if they were twins separated at birth. Still, he hadn't thought that she'd take to the seas again.

He should've known better, after everything that happened before, how her eyes gleamed brightly, always turning the color of the sea.

"Please," Narcissa was close to begging, "the Dark Lord has something dark planned for him, I know it. Won't you take him with you?"

Hope looked up the rope ladder where lanterns were lit and there was the sound of witches and wizards moving about, their words lost to the wind. It sounded like that group of hers, that defense group.

"Honor and loyalty," Hope said suddenly, her eyes fixing on Draco, fierce and hard, suiting an Earth Witch with two sabers at her side and a knife in her boot, a scar slicing her eyebrow. "Anyone who steps foot on my ship follows my code of honor and loyalty."

Draco tried not to look like he'd swallowed a lemon. "All right," he said.

"You don't follow the Code I kick you off," Hope crossed her arms, looking remarkably stern. "We clear?"

"Yes," Draco agreed.

"Good, get on board before the tides come in."

Draco didn't look back to see his very distant cousin grasp his mother's arm tightly before she followed him up the rope ladder.


	108. Léon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you aren't on tumblr, you probably aren't aware of the MorePirates!Thread floating around which is basically that there should be more pirates and pirate ships than Hope and the Siren.  
> This is just a little late and was one of the ways I'd debated the two meeting.

Léon de Grammont didn't like things he couldn't explain, and he didn't mean like magics he didn't understand or secrets he didn't know. He meant things like mysterious girls in school uniforms showing up on the bow of his ship.

"How the hell are you?" he demanded and the girl blinked at him in surprise, opening her mouth, but nothing came out, so she dug in her bag for what appeared to be a diary and a self-inking quill, withdrawing both to scribble out an answer.

 _Elpis Slytherin_ , the paper read.

Léon arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" he snarked. Anyone involved in piracy knew the tales of Nelda Slytherin's exploits. Her treasure trove would've been quite the prize...if anyone knew where it was. "What the fuck are you doing on my ship?"

Her dark eyes -impossibly dark, he noticed, pure black- narrowed and an eyebrow twitched.  _Captain?_

Léon scowled at the question. "You're looking at him."

She appeared mildly impressed, but it didn't last long.  _Are you always like this?_

"Like what?"

_A dick._

Léon decided he hated her. "Maybe I don't like some English bitch showing up on my bow!"

Elpis turned the paper towards him with a sardonic expression.  _French bastard_ , it read.

Léon  _really_  hated her, and he might actually be starting to like her.

(And if they continued to greet each other as such...well, that's a different story)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Léon is the combined brainchild of me and the lovely Cora, he is our salty son and he and Hope gradually grow on each other (as friends, nothing else, thank gods).


	109. Difficult Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a kiss prompt from tumblr

It was in the heat of a battle, Hope had been doing her best beat back some enemies, throwing an explosive hex contained in a bottle that had created such a backlash that everyone went flying.

She almost went over the edge and had to lunge to keep Bridger from toppling over.

And that was when she'd seen it, the flash of smoke that accompanied a flintlock going off and a figure with ginger hair fell.

Hope's heart stopped in her chest. She couldn't think, she couldn't even breathe.

'Being a captain is more than standing at the helm and shouting orders,' Nomia had once said, 'eventually you're going to have to put your crew before yourself. You can't drop everything for a single person, it doesn't work like that.'

Hope hoisted Bridger up and grabbed at the helm, spinning it in a circle so they wouldn't crash against the next ship.

"I've got this!" Bridger yelled, taking the wheel from her. "Go!"

The last enemy fell by the time she reached the side of the ginger-haired lad.

"Oh, George," she moaned, falling to her knees as the medic repaired the bloodied wound at his side.

"Its worse than it looks," George promised, though his expression was rather pained.

Hope sighed, running her fingers through his hair before pressing a hard kiss to his mouth.

She knew he could feel how her shoulders shook with strain.


	110. A Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Shini debates messing with Hope's head a lot in book two, don't worry it won't be happening, but it was an interesting prompt, tumblr prompt

It was getting harder to tell what was a dream and what was reality, and it was that thought that terrified her the most. She'd wake up in some random unused classroom in the dead of night, or standing on the Astronomy Tower, not even aware that she was so close to going over.

But there there was the sketchbook Hermione had gotten her once and the first few pages were runes after runes, but that was when they get weird. One page was completely blackened with charcoal, another had an archway that looked like an open door, there was one with a sickly form, lips drawn wide in a wordless scream.

And the page after it was entirely scrawled with ink over and over again that read: _I don't know what I'm doing / I'm awake / I'm not awake / How did I get here / None of this is real / Help me / I'm scared…_

Hope's heart raced in fear and panic because she never remembered writing any of those words or crying those dried spots of tears into the paper.

She closed her eyes, pressing her hands against her ears, the dull ringing returning.

"You think you can block me out?" the sultry whisper came to her ear and Hope pressed harder against her ears, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, her heart racing and her breath coming up short. "There's no escape, Hope Potter. I'm a part of you now…and do you know the best way to defeat your enemy? You don't their courage away, you take their  _hope."_

And Hope shot awake with a wordless scream on her lips, struggling to catch her breath, and when she ran to the bathroom to vomit into a toilet, no shadow followed her.


	111. Similarities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt

"You remind me of her sometimes."

Hope looked up from steering, checking their position by the stars positioned above them before looking to where Nomia was sitting against the side of the ship, sharpening her knife on a stone. "Nelda?"

Nomia hummed in agreement, looking out to the sea once more before looking back to Hope. Physically they couldn't have looked more different, Hope with her dark eyes and bronze curls and Nelda with her dark hair and light eyes. Nelda had preferred two blades, Hope preferred one, supplementing with a crossbow.

"You're both very driven, loyal, uncompromising," Nomia said and Hope tried not to comment on how she made it seem that Nelda still drew air.

Morgane was checking the sails and Drago was entertaining Bridger with some fire magic that had her one-eyed attention. It had been very relaxed lately. After the incident with the kraken, Hope had thought it would be a good time to rest and heal.

"Sometimes I think about never leaving," Hope admitted, "just finding a way to finish my schooling out here and not go back."

"Its more fun when you're around," Nomia admitted with a grin that made Hope roll her eyes. "But you have to go back eventually."

Hermione and Daphne would never forgive her.

"Leon and I can handle the seas," Nomia assured her and Hope's lips curled. "Well, mostly. You know how Leon is."

Hope couldn't help but laugh.


	112. Defensive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt

Daphne didn't usually have to play the big sister card, generally because Hope had that covered, being a bit terrifying with her sword and scars and tattoos. People tended to know better than to go toe to toe with Hope Potter when they found out she was actually a pirate that captained a ship on the holidays (and, if rumor was to be believed, half of her 5th year).

But Daphne had to put her foot down with the whole Goblet of Fire nonsense. Hope hadn't even been in class on Halloween, she never went to class on Halloween. She'd just visited her parents' graves with Remus and Sirius and spent the rest of the day on the Siren. And then she'd shown up covered in blood.

"Cetus was hard to deter," was all she said when people asked her, a devilish smile on her lips.

Hope had thought it was funny that her name came out of the Goblet of Fire. ( "Come on, lets be real, its an off year when someone or something isn't trying to kill me.").

So, Daphne had taken to cursing people.

"And if you go anywhere near her," she said with a dark smile to one of the would-be attackers, "you'll have me to deal with."

The boy scampered and Hope arched an eyebrow at her. "You know, I think you and Will would get along great."

Daphne rolled her eyes.


	113. Crossbow Bolt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt featuring George, Hope, and a crossbow

It was easy to get distracted when Hope was around, especially when she was dressed casually. Today her pirate gear comprised simply of a loose sleeveless white shirt tucked into her breeches.

"Must be laundry day."

Hope quirked an eyebrow, a hand tightening over the heavy crossbow in her arms, and really, her holding it made the line of muscles in her arms clear and made the coiling black snake patterned over one arm ripple slightly, her surprise just barely seen. "What?"

"You usually wear red," George pointed out and Hope's lips curved.

"My last shirt got shredded," she shrugged. "Mindy's fixing it up."

"Shredded?" George stared. "On what?"

Hope winked before drawing the crossbow up and holding it evenly in her hands with a practiced ease, a bolt readied as she looked through the scope.

She was so certain and steady that George couldn't help but admire when she pulled the trigger without blinking, lodging the bolt squarely in the target.

"Leon's been trying to get me into guns," Hope grimaced, resting the crossbow against her shoulder in a would-be casual manner, "but really, who needs them when I've got  _this?"_  She patted it fondly.

"You're outrageous," he informed her.

"That's what they keep telling me," Hope grinned widely.


	114. Hag Stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt featuring a hag stone

The boots didn't quite fit, but Ginny didn't really mind as she waded through the cool water, swaying against her knees. The rest of the crew was taking a break against the warm sand, some getting a fire going, but she knew that Hope was always happiest out at sea, which explained why she was still fiddling around on the ship above Ginny.

Something brushed against one of Ginny's boots and she looked down into the water, before reaching to lift up the object.

It was a strange sort of thing with smoothed edges and two holes.

There was a small splash next to Ginny and she looked up to see Hope releasing her grip on the cord of rope, sweeping bronze curls into a ponytail behind her head.

"What'cha got?" she asked, coming close to see what was in Ginny's hands. "Oh, a hag stone."

"A hag stone?" Ginny asked in confusion. "What's that?"

"They're supposed to be protective talismans. Morgane wears a few. Morgane says they really work so, I believe her. I think if you look through the holes you can see otherworldly entities."

Ginny looked through one hole and balked at Hope. Her eyes had gone solid black, not just the irises, black cracks spreading across her skin around her eyes.

She pulled back and stared at Hope who simply winked before kicking up water on her way to shore.


	115. Honest Opinion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt featuring Geope being almost blatant and I'm honestly headcanoning George as demisexual in this fic

Romantic love had never been something that Hope would ever call her forte, she tended to drift away from that, especially since it seemed to include going from sweet kisses to frantically trying to get each others clothes off in less than a few seconds, and,  _no thank you_ , Hope wasn't a fan of that.

She didn't understand how people could have sexual appeal if they were as dull as a brick.

"Do you ever look at someone and want to shag them?" she asked George one day in the quieter part of the library as Hermione and Daphne drifted off to find a suitable book for their respective essays.

George arched an eyebrow. "Why d'you ask?"

"Well, you're a sixteen year old heterosexual male, it seems like the MO."

George had to stifle a snort. "Don't tell me you're stereotyping now."

Hope waved a careless hand.

"Besides, not everyone's like that. Personally, I'd rather wait and see how my partner felt about it first before getting into that."

She considered him. Hope didn't think she'd ever seen George with anyone, girl or otherwise.

"I do know this girl, though," he said, "very loyal with a sharp tongue and never goes anywhere without a sword handy, and I think if she was okay if it, I'd drag her into a dark corner to snog, but just to snog."

And Hope turned beet red.

_Oh my god. I'm in love with him._

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @greygryffindor


End file.
